74 Botanic Gardens. 



ing it outside in Ireland is hit upon as well as 

 proper indoor culture is now known, it will winter 

 here out of doors. Trial is being made of wintering 

 it under cap- glass or garden frame, and having it 

 uncovered for summer. 



Many epiphital and parasitical Orchids bear, and 

 even thrive and bloom much better under, cooler 

 treatment than they have been wont to receive in 

 this country. Much has been written to demon- 

 strate this ; and Mr. John Bain, of our Dublin 

 College Botanic Gardens, with whom I have had 

 frequent opportunity of conversing on the subject, 

 has shown me many instances of the benefit of ad- 

 mitting abundant air to some of the loveliest of those 

 plants, which for years seldom were given any from 

 outside. In August, 1876, Mr. Mudd, already 

 named, showed me, amongst many very interesting 

 plants lately found by him in India, strong speci- 

 mens of Cymbidium eleyans, of Sologni ocratea, and 

 of another, or others, of the same family which he 

 gathered at an altitude of 9000 feet up the Hima- 

 layas. He also showed me a lovely Saccalabium, I 

 believe new, of his discovery, suited to a cool house. 



What are called epiphital Orchids, which often 

 are parasites on forest trees, particularly in tro- 

 pical countries, compose one of the largest and 

 loveliest families of plants with which we are 

 acquainted. In grotesque resemblance of many of 

 the flowers of this family to butterflies, and other of 

 the insect tribes, and even to birds and animals, 



