44 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [Fepruary, 1914. 
the labels attached to the award cards. More light seems to be necessary, 
or, better still, legible handwriting.” 
This pollen thieving began at a meeting held in March last, when some — 
miscreant abstracted the pollen of an Odontioda and that of Brassocattleya 
Cliftonii magnifica, leaving behind only a little trace of cotton wool to tell 
the story. The sequel to this outrage was that a rope has since been 
affixed some three feet in front of the plants on the committee table, with 
an attendant in charge, and a notice was put up that the flowers might on 
no account be touched by anyone during the continuance of the show. 
The scene then shifted to the Ghent Quinquennial Exhibition, where the 
spike of Miltonia Charlesworthii was annexed on the second day. Next 
came the Holland House Show, at which some choice Orchids were placed 
in a small tent, for inspection by the Orchid Committee, and left unguarded, 
the result being that the pollen of a choice form of Miltonioda Harwoodii 
vanished. A few weeks later the pollen of a valuable Odontoglossum was — 
annexed at an ordinary meeting. 
The next information was that Messrs. McBean had lost a considerable 
amount of pollen from their establishment at Cooksbridge. Several 
hundred flowers were attacked during the course of a few days, and 
although a careful watch was kept, and all the doors securely fastened, yet 
the pollen continued to disappear. The matter was becoming serious, and 
it was decided to guard the plants by close vigilance. It was not long, the 
Orchid World says, before numerous mice appeared on the scene, and 
quickly climbed to the tops of the plants in order to secure the pollen. 
Not content with securing all they could obtain from the open flowers, they 
next visited the largest buds—we can only admire the sublime patience of 
that vigilant detective—and by breaking through the segments were able to 
extract the pollen. But the villians appear to have come once too often, 
for it is reported that since the capture and due punishment of the mice no 
further loss of pollen has been experienced. 
Another interesting incident is reported to us by the Rev. J. Cromble- 
holme, Chairman of the Manchester Orchid Society. He writes: “At @ 
meeting of the Society, held on October 16th, whilst the Committee was 
sitting, a common fly alighted heavily on the Minute Book. On its back q 
it carried a fine piece of Orchid pollen. 1 drew the attention of ouf 
Secretary (Mr. Arthur) to it, and we tried to catch the thief, but we had nO — 
more success than the R.H.S. in their attempt.—It escaped.” 
These small fry seem to have quite entered into the spirit of the thing: 
* 
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