WARM ORCHIDS, III 
years later came C. /abzata, of which more must be 
said ; then C. Mossig, from Caraccas; fourth, C. 
Triane, named after Colonel Trian, of Tolima, in 
the United States of Colombia. Trian well 
deserved immortality, for he was a native of that 
secluded land—and a botanist! It is a natural 
supposition that his orchid must be the commonest 
of weeds in its home; seeing how all Europe is 
stocked with it, and America also, rash people 
might say there are millions in cultivation. But 
it seems likely that C. 7vzan@ was never very fre- 
quent, and at the present time assuredly it is so 
scarce that collectors are not sent after it. Prob- 
ably the colonel, like many other savants, was an 
excellent man of business, and he established “a 
corner” when he saw the chance. C. Mossie 
stands in the same situation—or indeed worse ; it 
can scarcely be found now. These instances con- 
vey a serious warning. In seventy years we have 
destroyed the native stock of two orchids, both so 
very free in propagating that they have an excep- 
tional advantage in the struggle for existence. 
How long can rare species survive, when the 
demand strengthens and widens year by year, 
while the means of communication and _ transport 
become easier over all the world? Other instances 
will be mentioned in their place. 
