2 TiMEHRl. 



and flowing through bottoms of reeds and cotton-grass, 

 as well as the pleasant odour of the pine woods, 

 and the delicate colour of cowslip meadows where certain 

 species contrast with the otherwise uniform scattering of 

 these floral gems. Colle6lions of epiphytal species are 

 also rich in memories, especially where they have been 

 gathered personally. This plant was brought from the 

 slopes of Roraima, that from the neighbourhood of the 

 Essequebo falls, here, a dozen species recall the windings 

 of a creek in the Demerara river, and there, others bring to 

 mind the glare of sunlight on the Mourie. Unlike most 

 other plants the interest is particular rather than general. 

 It was not a parcel of seed that was brought, but the 

 plant itself. It is quite possible that there may be still 

 plants in the English orchid houses which were collefled 

 by the SCHOMBURGKS or other well-known people, and, 

 as nothing is so generally interesting as traces of personal 

 connexion, orchidophiles will no doubt record these at 

 some future time. Already something has been done in 

 regard to the extreme rarities and hybrids — these are 

 pedigreed like particular breeds of horses and dogs. 



As a small contribution to the connexion of the 

 Guiana Orchids with the first colleflors and cultivators, 

 we have thought it well, in commencing a series of 

 papeis on the Guiana Orchids, to say something about 

 their first introducers into England. When such names 

 as Cattleya, Huntleya and Schomburgkia are mentioned, 

 and we learn that they were given in honour of certain 

 persons, we generally like to know who these persons 

 were. But, while admitting the personal interest of 

 such names we cannot agree with the principle on which 

 they are given. Descriptive names are decidedly better, 



