COLLECTING ORCHIDS. 49 



Orinoco on the north and the Amazon on the south; the western 

 boundary would be the eastern Cordillera in the west, and the 

 Atlantic Ocean on the east; including such rivers, as the Rio Ne- 

 gro and its tributaries, Rio Guayabero, Rio Meta, etc. 



Catileya Schroderae is probably the only Cattleya of any account 

 in this region, although the greater part of this country is still 

 practically unknown; but what is known has not produced am'thing 

 surprising in orchids. Almost the whole territory is very uniform 

 in climatic conditions, and without any high mountains, so we can 

 reasonably expect that no great novelties are in store for us here. 



Cattleya Eldorado is found in quantity along the northern banks 

 of the Amazon beginning at INIanaos; also along the Rio Negro; 

 C. swperha is also found there. This Cattleya also occurs in several 

 other localities, such as on the Cazanare, Rio Meta, Orinoco, and 

 even south of the Amazon, while C . Eldorado does not cross the 

 Amazon southward. 



In conclusion I would say that the prospects for future orchid 

 collecting are not bright; the constant hunting for these plants the 

 last few years has led a number of natives to embark in the exporta- 

 tion of orchids which is in itself nothing wrong, but unfortunately 

 it is done in many instances by individuals who do not have the 

 least knowledge of plants, or how to do the work right. The result 

 is that the last year alone several hundred boxes (of Cattleyas 

 mostly) arrived in New York, the most valuable part of which was 

 the boxes; the plants through careless handling in every way were 

 ruined completely. This in one year does more harm than the 

 collector would do in ten years. 



From Brazil now comes information that Cattleya lahiata is getting 

 scarce; a plant that we were led to believe would last to the end 

 of time, and before long I fear that we will hear the same complaint 

 from other quarters. 



