ORCHID CONFERENCE. 68 



properly dealt with on the present occasion. When the Com- 

 mittee put this question down on the paper for consideration 

 to-day, it was hoped and expected that Professor Keichenbach 

 would carry out his promise to come to the Conference, and we 

 had intended to refer the whole of this question to that gentle- 

 man, and to get him to give us a paper on the subject, as we 

 want a little direction in that w r ay. If the question of the 

 nomenclature of daffodils was of importance, surely the question 

 of the nomenclature of Orchids is of much more importance. At 

 present we are rather at sea about the nomenclature of Orchids, 

 as we have only just a few names which have been given to us by 

 Professor Keichenbach, and we want a more extended and 

 general consolidation of this question. I am, therefore, afraid 

 that it cannot be discussed on this occasion. The question might 

 be referred, in the manner Mr. Harvey has suggested, to the 

 Orchid Conference Committee, before they quite close their 

 labours, and they would certainly bring the question forward and 

 not lose sight of it. More than that I do not think we can do 

 to-day, but of course \ve shall be happy to hear any remarks 

 on the question, if any gentleman has anything to say. 



Mr. LYNCH observed that it was of course necessary in the 

 first place to ascertain all that could be learned about every 

 individual plant, and then they might be compared in series 

 which should be as complete as it was possiblo to get them. 

 This would, he thought, give the best results scientifically and 

 horticulturally. This system had been applied to the Iris 

 family, and as there appeared to be something in common 

 between the Iris and the Orchid, it would perhaps be possible to 

 take the Iris example and apply it to the classification of Orchids. 



Mr. O'BRIEN said he had only to observe that if they were 

 to defer the matter of nomenclature until they could secure 

 Professor Eeichenbach's attendance, they ought not to go too far 

 in it at present. For his own part he was prepared to make a 

 few observations on the subject, but on the lines they had now 

 laid down he thought it better to defer them. 



Mr. BURBIDGE remarked that in his mind there was nothing 

 whatever to prevent the Orchid Conference Committee from 

 discussing the matter among themselves, though perhaps they 

 could not do so in public. 



It was then agreed that the question should be deferred to a 

 future date. 



