282 ORCHIDS: 
which the sepals are much more conspicuous than the 
petals and lip, these latter organs being often -entirely 
hidden in the tube formed by the union of thé sepals at 
the base. The variety of form and arrangement shown in 
the sepals of these plants is probably unequalled in any 
other genus of Orchids. The section represented by M. 
Chimera is, as the name denotes, most fantastic—“ devilish, 
dog-fish like, a floral octopus’’—in flower-character; the 
simple shape of M. Harryana, M. ignea, and all of that 
section, is insignificant in comparison with their colour- 
briliancy; whilst in the jewel-like flowers of the tiny 
species, such as M. tridactylites and M. triglochin, there 
is great beauty of structure, as well as of colour. In 1865 
there were scarcely half-a-dozen species known in gardens; 
then came the snowy M. tovarensis, followed by the flame- 
coloured M. Veitchiana, and the popularity of Masdevallias 
was at once ensured. 
One has to know these plants to understand the fasci- 
nation they have for horticulturists. They grow on one 
until the desire for them becomes almost a mild species 
of madness. Amongst the many charms which Masde- 
vallias possess must be reckoned one which, till recently, 
was scarcely known to exist in the great Orchid family, 
namely, sensitiveness, such as is possessed by the Venus’ 
Fly-trap and the Sensitive Plant. At Kew, in 1887, a 
small plant of M. muscosa flowered for the first time in 
England. It had short, thick leaves, erect, hairy flower- 
scapes, and flowers tin. across; the lip was hinged, and 
had a concave blade, tin. long, in the middle of which was 
a raised, yellow disk. On touching this disk, the lip moved 
upwards and closed with a jerk, and it was found that 
any small insect on alighting on the lip was at once 
trapped and held for about twenty minutes, when the lip 
opened again. Charles Darwin, who regretted never having 
