AN ORCHID SALE. 35 
Protheroe quashed thesale. A few other instances 
of the kind might be given but none so grand. 
The special interest of the sale to us lies in some 
novelties collected by Mr. Edward Wallace in parts 
unknown, and he is probably among us. Mr. 
Wallace has no adventures in particular to relate 
this time, but he tells, with due caution, where and 
how his treasures were gathered in South America. 
There is a land which those who have geographical 
knowledge sufficient may identify, surrounded by 
the territories of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Vene- 
zuela, and Brazil. It is traversed by some few 
Indian tribes, and no collector hitherto had pene- 
trated it. Mr. Wallace followed the central line of 
mountains from Colombia for a hundred and fifty 
miles, passing a succession of rich valleys described 
as the loveliest ever seen by this veteran young 
traveller, such as would support myriads of cattle. 
League beyond league stretches the “ Pajadena 
grass,” pasturage unequalled ; but “ the wild herds 
that never knew a fold” are its only denizens. 
Here, on the mountain slopes, Mr. Wallace found 
Bletia Sherrattiana, the white form, very rare ; 
another terrestrial orchid, unnamed and, as is 
thought, unknown, which sends up a branching 
spike two feet to three feet high, bearing ten to 
twelve flowers, of rich purple hue, in shape like a 
D2 
