138 GENERAL REVIEW OF THE 0RCHIDE.1<;. 



ricliest and most famous in Europe, In this collection many of 

 the most admired orchids flowered for the first time in this country 

 and among them were Odontoglossion crispairi, Aerides crassifolium, 

 Angrcecum Ellisii, Gattlei/a Wolherlana, Lrelia efegans Wolstenliolmice, 

 named after Mr, Day's sister, Gypripedium Stonei and its wonderful 

 variety p)latykemam, of which he acquired the only plant that has 

 ever been imported. Mr. Day's love of orchids led him to travel 

 to their native homes with the object of better understanding their 

 habits and environment in situ; the districts selected for this purpose 

 were northern and southern India, Ceylon, Jamaica and Brazil, all of 

 Avhich Avith the exception of the first named he visited within the 

 , last ten years of his life ; in fact, no amateur of his time possessed 

 a greater practical knowledge of orchids than Mr, Day, whose name 

 will be perpetuated into the far future by Goelogyne Bayana, Gypri- 

 pedium Dayamim, Lci^lia puniila Dayana, Gryptophoranfhvs Dayanus 

 and others. 



SOME RESULTS OF THE HYBRIDISATION 

 OF ORCHIDS, 



The most striking development in the orchid culture of the present 

 time is seen in the raising of hybrids and metis or mixed forms not 

 immediately derived from two recognised species. To such an extent 

 is muling being carried on, not only in the establishments of 

 pi'ofessional growers but also in the collections of amateurs, that 

 among Cypripedes, at least, the progenies so obtained have become 

 as varied in colour and form as those of many of our most familiar 

 florists' flowers. In Cattleya, Laelia, Calanthe, Dendrobium, Masdevallia 

 and Phaius hybrid forms are now very numerous ; in other less 

 popular genera the progress of muling has been much slower, so 

 tha;t in none of them does the number of hybrids raised artificially 

 at present (1894) exceed half-a-dozen, while in some of them it is 

 restricted to one or two. Nevertheless scarcely a year passes without 

 a new genus being added to the list of those in which hybrids 



