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gather the birds about their country-homes ; to make the best of 
city-life by making the most of our beautiful parks; to take a 
pride in those same parks that will keep one’s feet off the grass 
where it is thin and one’s fingers from the blossoming shrub ; to 
make wide the narrow home because every article that enters into 
it has its own interest, and can lead the thought over all the earth. 
This organization of everyday nature-study material, accord- 
ing to the natural development of the child and his environment, 
is certainly not a scientific organization ; utilitarian is too narrow 
a word ; commercial is to be ignored ; practical perhaps expresses 
it; pragmatic is newer, and more fashionable ; but for the present 
let us regard it simply as an attempt at the educational organiza- 
tion of nature-study. 
Mary PerLe ANDERSON. 
THE AMES COLLECTION OF CYPRIPEDIUMS. 
The large and valuable collection of cypripediums, which 
formed a part of the collection of orchids given to the Garden in 
the fall of 1907 by Mr. Oakes Ames, of North Easton, Mass., 
and to which reference has been made several times in the pages 
of the Jourwat, has been flowering freely for the past few months 
and gives good promise of continuing to do so for some time 
to come. It is needless to say that this collection is one of the 
largest and best in the country. It contains in the neighborhood 
of seven hundred plants, representing about two hundred and 
twenty-five kinds, among which are about twenty of the original 
species; the greater part of the collection, however, is made up 
of hybrids, of which there are many beautiful and striking forms. 
Many of these plants are located in house no. 15 of the public 
conservatories, arranged on the north and center benches of that 
hous re have been brought together about four hundred 
and fifty plants, representing in the neighborhood of one hundred 
and eighty kinds. The remainder of the collection, made up for 
the most part of the smaller individuals, is at the propagating 
houses 
Before proceeding to a consideration of certain individuals of 
