70 ABOUT ORCHIDS. 
perished at Panama, Klaboch in Mexico, Endres 
at Rio Hacha, Wallis in Ecuador, Schroeder in 
Sierra Leone, Arnold on the Orinoco, Digance 
in Brazil, Brown in Madagascar. Sir Trevor 
Lawrence mentions a case where the zealous 
explorer “waded for a fortnight up to his middle 
in mud,” searching for a plant he had heard of. 
I have not identified this instance of devotion, but 
we know of rarities which would demand perse- 
verance and sufferings almost equal to secure them. 
If employers could find the heart to tempt a fellow- 
creature into such risks, the chances are that it 
would prove bad business. For to discover a new 
or valuable orchid is only the first step in a com- 
mercial enterprise. It remains to secure the 
“ article,” to bring it safely into a realm that may 
be called civilized, to pack it and superintend its 
transport through the sweltering lowland to a 
shipping place. Ifthe collector sicken after find- 
ing his prize, these cares are neglected more or 
less; if he die, all comes toa full stop. Thus it 
happens that the importing business has been 
given up by one firm after another. 
Odontoglossums, as I said, belong to America— 
to the mountainous parts of the continent in 
general. Though it would be wildly rash to pro- 
nounce which is the loveliest of orchids, no man 
