collected at the proper season, which is when they are dormant, and more than this, 
every attention should be bestowed upon them on their arrival. They should be 
placed at once in baskets, with some broken crocks, and a little sphagnum moss at their 
roots, and very little water should be applied; the moisture should not be allowed to 
touch the foliage until the plant shows signs of growth, and they must be kept 
in a light shady place. When they are getting established they will be better 
suspended near the roof. 
Our drawing was taken from a well-bloomed specimen in the fine collection of 
W. Vanner, Esq., Camden Wood, Chislehurst, where Orchids are well cultivated. 
_Masdevaliia Chimera, is a dwarf evergreen species, with tufted stems and 
pretty green foliage, growing about eight inches high. The flowers, proceed from 
scapes, which spring up along with the leaves, and are partly drooping; they are 
of quaint appearance, the flowers, measuring about eighteen inches across from tip 
to tip; the colour is ochreous yellow, densely spotted and barred with blackish purple, 
the surface being hairy, while the tails are wholly blackish purple, and not hairy. 
It flowers at different times of the year, and continues for about a fortnight in 
blossom. 
We find the plants of this group of Masdevallias to thrive best in baskets, 
or in a kind of boat-shaped arrangement made after the manner of a basket, with 
a semi-circular bottom and wooden ends, as their flower spikes often protrude 
between the wood-work; it is indeed natural to some of the species to bloom 
in this way, which also shows the flowers off to better advantage. The basket 
should not be large—just a little larger than the plant—and as a compost, 
rough fibrous peat on a little sphagnum moss seems to suit them, with sufficient 
drainage to admit of a good supply of water being given in their growing 
season. Even when at rest the material should be kept moist, as they have 
no thick fleshy pseudobulbs to support them, which makes them impatient of 
drought. They thrive best suspended from the roof, but shaded from the sun, as 
the leaves are apt to get scorched and tum yellow if exposed. The cool 
Odontoglossum house suits them, but we keep ours in the warmest part of it. 
They are propagated by dividing the plant when in vigorous health. It is 
very necessary to keep these plants free from insects. 
