120 ABOUT ORCHIDS. 
churches. Roezl and the’early collectors had a 
“good time,” buying these semi-sacred flowers from 
the priests, bribing the parishioners to steal them, 
or, when occasion served, playing the thief them- 
selves. But the game is nearly up. Seldom now 
cana piece of Cat. Skinneri alba be obtained by 
honest means, and when a collector arrives guards 
are set upon the churches that still keep their 
decoration. No plant has ever been found in the 
forest, we understand. 
It is just the same case with Lelia anceps alba. 
The genus Leelia is distinguished from Cattleya 
by a peculiarity to be remarked only in dissec- 
tion ; its pollen masses are eight as against four. 
To my taste, however, the species are more 
charming on the whole. Thereis ZL. purpurata. 
Casual observers always find it hard to grasp the 
fact that orchids are weeds in their native homes, 
just like foxgloves and dandelions with us. In this 
instance, as I have noted, they flatly refuse to be- 
lieve, and certainly “upon the face of it” their 
incredulity is reasonable. 
Lelia purpurata falls under the head of hot 
orchids. JL. anceps, however, is not so exacting; 
many people grow it in the cool house when they 
can expose it there to the full blaze of sunshine. 
In its commonest form it is divinely beautiful. 
