STORY OF ODONTOGLOSSUM HARRYANUM 



Men supremely great in science have a quality beyond 

 reason, such as we term instinct, enabling them to leap 

 over the slow processes of demonstration, and announce a 

 law or a result unsuspected, which they cannot yet prove. 

 The great Collector Benedict Roezl had this gift. Returning 

 from the memorable expedition in which he discovered the 

 Miltonia commonly called Odontoglossum vexillarium, he 

 assured Mr. Sander that in those parts would be found 

 a true Odontoglossum of unusual colouring. When asked 

 the grounds for his opinion he could only say he ' smelt it.' 

 Mr, Sander was not unused to this expression, and he knew 

 by experience that Roezl's scientific nose might be trusted. 

 It was something in the air, in the ' lie ' of the country, in 

 the type of vegetation, which guided him, no doubt. Other 

 collectors born and bred have a like sense. Roezl showed 

 his supremacy by the confident prediction that this new 

 species would be darker than any known, and striking in the 

 combination of its tints. 



This was in 1875, ^^'"^ years later Professor Reichenbach 

 wrote to Mr, Sander of an astounding Odontoglossum he 

 had seen — it may be necessary to tell the unlearned that 

 Professor Reichenbach was the very genius of orchidology. 

 Nothing in the least resembling it had been even rumoured 

 hitherto. And then Reichenbach described Odontoglossum 

 Harryanum. The raptures of that enthusiast were wont to 



