May 28, 1885] 
NATURE 
73 
would certainly lead any one acquainted with the subject to 
believe that he had acted on it. The only clues afforded by the 
work which indicate that the Owenian system was not adopted 
in its entirety, now pointed out by Mr. Lydekker as existing at 
pp. 152, 174, would certainly escape the notice of any one who 
had not actually spelled through the work, as I feel sure who- 
ever will take the trouble to refer to will agree with me. 
There is no evidence whatever to support Mr, Lydekker’s 
assumption that the two anterior premolars in Vesperti/io and 
the anterior premolar in RAinolophus correspond, respect- 
ively, to Ams. 2 and 3 and to #. 3 of the typical.series. On the 
contrary, the small size of the second premolar in Vesferte/zo 
points to reduction by loss from the middle of the series, as we 
find in the greater number of species of the closely-allied order, 
Insectivora, and, as we know, takes place in the mandible of 
several species of Chiroptera. 
With reference to the wish expressed in the review that, instead 
of writing a mere catalogue of the fossil mammals in the British 
Museum, Mr. Lydekker had undertaken one of all the known 
species, and his objection, while regretting that the intended 
friendly estimate of his capability for such a work has been so 
hostilely received, 1 maintain that such should have been under- 
taken ; but Mr. Lydekker’s remarks show how necessary it is, 
and that the objection that new genera and species are being 
made almost daily (it is probable that they will continue to be 
be made to the end of time) might be applied with equal force 
on behalf of the birds by Mr. Sharpe, who nevertheless con- 
tinues his excellent catalogue. It is only by the publication of 
such a work that we can hope to limit the manufacture of 
“empty names,” such as Mr. Lydekker objects to, and to 
reduce to order the vast amount of scattered information and 
contesting opinions which encumber the study of the subject. 
THE REVIEWER 
THE ORCHID EXHIBITION 
HE Exhibition held in the Conservatory at South 
Kensington on the 12th and 13th inst. in con- 
nection with the Orchid Conference of the Royal Horti- 
cultural Society, must have furnished to the least observant 
visitor some explanation of the fascination exercised by 
orchids over their cultivators. The beauty, the variety, 
the strangeness of the flowers of the Orchideze attract 
and interest the least enthusiastic even of the lovers of 
nature. But the variation in flower, compatible with 
botanical inclusion in one family, is not more marked 
than is the difference in mode of flowering and of growth. 
Could there be in one natural order a stronger contrast 
than between the mode of growth and the gorgeous 
flowers of the genus Cattleya—essentially “ flaunting 
flowers ”—and those of the genus Masdevallia, where the 
conspicuous part of the flower consists of the three sepals, 
drawn out in many species into thread-like tails many 
inches long, and ranging in colour through every shade of 
orange, scarlet, and purple, down to an almost inky 
black! 
While a larger array of specimen plants has often been 
seen than was shown at the Conference, there has never been 
gathered together in any country so varied and interesting 
a collection, nor one containing so many rare and curious 
plants. Great as was the interest for the cultivator, it 
was no less great for the botanist. .Mr. Ridley, of the 
Natural History Museum, who, in conjunction with Mr. 
Burbidge, of the Dublin Botanic Gardens, has undertaken 
to draw up a report on the Conference Exhibition, found 
that sixty-one genera of orchids were represented. For 
the first time in the history of flower-shows there was a 
numerous collection of hybrid orchids, raised by artificial 
fertilisation, in flower. For the first time was there a large 
collection of orchids in fruit. The progress of hybridisa- 
tion, greatly due to the energy and skill of Messrs. Veitch 
and Sons and their intelligent foremen, Mr. Dominy and 
Mr. Seden, has already been fertile in valuable results for 
the cultivator. An excellent little book lately published,! 
Gives a list of eighty-nine hybrids already in cultivation, 
* “ Orchids : a Review of their Structure and History.” Illustrated. By 
Lewis Castle. (Journal of Horticulture Office, 171, Fleet Street, E.C.) 
distributed among twelve genera, but thirty-seven of them 
belonging to the genus Cypripedium. Those who are 
privileged to enter the penetralia at Chelsea know that 
there are there and elsewhere great numbers and varieties 
of hybrids, which are slowly surmounting the dangers and 
delicacy of infancy and childhood. 
But the labours of the hybridiser promise to be of great 
value to the botanist. Mr. Harry Veitch, in his very 
suggestive and interesting paper on the “ Hybridisation 
of Orchids,” read at the Conference, says: ‘“ How will 
these bigeneric crosses affect the stability of the genera 
as at present circumscribed?” It is well established 
already that the genera Leelia and Cattleya cross freely 
with one another, and Mr. Veitch refers in his paper to 
two other bigeneric hybrids, which have already flowered, 
and to others which have been raised, but have not yet 
flowered. 
Unfortunately it must be a long time before orchid 
cultivators generally can enjoy the results of hybridisation. 
Mr. Veitch gives the time the hybridist must wait to see 
the result of his labours, as follows :— 
Time from Germination 
Genus. i 
to Flowering 
Dendrobium 556 3 to 4 years. 
es : About the same. 
Masdevallia ... ngs sg seem! t eae 
Chysis 2 (pAIEORS cans: 
Zygopetalum 5 to 9 years. 
Lycaste ... 7 to 8 years, 
Leelia s ', 
Cattleya e Io to 12 years, 
With the exception of the genera Dendrobium and 
Cypripedium, it is a long time before sufficient plants of a 
hybrid can be obtained for distribution, even under the 
most skilful cultivation. For this reason many of the 
more beautiful hybrids will probably remain scarce and 
valuable for years. The high prices paid by collectors 
for orchids in some cases have been a source of merriment 
to the uninitiated. Speaking generally, orchids were never 
so cheap or so plentiful. But if a collector must have a 
hybrid which has been raised by skilful hands and nursed 
into vigour by years of patient care—or, on the other hand, 
must have a beautiful natural variety which has been 
picked out of millions of plants—if he must have them, he 
must pay for them. 
The Royal Horticultural Society is to be congratulated 
both on the botanical and the horticultural results of the 
late Conference. The Conference was a new idea, a new 
departure. It has demonstrated the great, widespread, 
and, better still, the intelligent interest taken in a singular 
and beautiful natural order, and the skill brought to bear 
on its cultivation. 
The short scientific contributions of Prof. Reichenbach, 
whose absence was universally regretted ; the paper on 
“Hybridisation,” by Mr. Veitch, and the brief discussion 
which ensued, were listened to by a large and appreciative 
conference. The paper on “ Cultivation,” by Mr. O’Brien, 
was also interesting and valuable. The very difficult 
question of nomenclature, which is in so confused and 
unsatisfactory a state as to ill brook delay, was postponed. 
It could not be discussed with advantage at the tail of a 
long meeting, and will be referred, it is to be hoped, to a 
a scientific committee selected from botanists in and out 
of the Royal Horticultural Society. ples les 
WHEAT-PRODUCTION IN INDIA* 
NDIA has recently exhibited her extraordinary powers 
as a wheat-producing area of vast extent. Up to the 
year 1877 the British wheat-grower looked upon the 
exhaustless prairies of the far West as his most formid- 
t The Wheat-Produetion and Trade of India. Calcutta. Being a 
collection of correspondence in continuation of papers published in 1879. 
