REFERENCES AND ABBREVIATIONS. 61 



very writings. Should I, writing for gardeners, who 

 seek but reliable information, and do not want and 

 should not be hampered by scientists' obligations any 

 more than necessary, be forced to entangle myself and 

 them by citing in every instance who first applied the 

 term of Selenipedium to this or that species? Seleni- 

 pedia they are, and separated with equal right as Lselia 

 and Cattleya. I admit them as such, and still retain 

 Rchb. f. or Rolfe or anybody else, for that matter, 

 if they happen to be the authority of any cross in ques- 

 tion. Beware of obligations the carrying out of which 

 is not improving our cause, and the omission of which 

 is not establishing any precedent nor creating any wrong 

 or harm. Should my most unfortunate initials be at- 

 tached to Phalanthe, to Zygolax, Mr. Ridley's to Catlse- 

 lia? If I am the first innocent one to group those' 

 hybrids under new heads, new for usefulness, new for 

 reasons and new for progress; let us adhere to them for 

 convenience sake, and not wrangle over the comparative 

 worth of the three hundred and odd nails from the 

 cross of Christ. 



Do not blame me either for giving room to hundreds 

 of records obscure, obliterated, indistinct and unpub- 

 lished. Have not all of us sinned in the past for going 

 as long as we did without recognizing any standard? If 

 Cypripedium what-its-name and the-other-kind have 

 been crossed by the unknown man, and I heard of it, 

 learned its name, found out a little more: he is entitled 

 to recognition, entitled as long as the land has not been 

 surveyed and parceled out according to law, and previous 

 possessory right. If others accomplished like crosses, 

 they are subjected to the oldest name, if known but to 

 local fame. It is hazardous to be just to all while living 

 in amongst you orchid raisers, affected and subjected to 



