180 THE ‘Q@RCHID REVIEW. [Nov.-Dec., 1919. 
resume hybridising, and raised some fine forms of C. Leeanum, nitens, and 
radiosum. We also recall C. Raphelii, derived from C. Crossianum x © 
insigne. The seeds were sown on the compost of established plants, and 
germinated as freely as cress, so that he had hundreds of seedlings. 
Mr. Swan then took charge of the gardens of j« ¥. Bryce, Esd.," at 
Exmouth, for five years, when the removal of the family and sale of the 
plants necessitated another change, and this a final one. In July, 1899, he 
took charge of the garden and estate of Sir Edward Clarke, at Thorncote, 
Staines, which became Jamnagar House on its purchase by H.H. 
Maharajah Jam Saheb of Nawanagar (Prince Ranjitsinhji), in whose service 
Mr. Swan remained until his death. He continued his duties until May last, 
when ‘he was taken ill, but rallied, and was able to be wheeled in a chair 
round his beloved garden and enjoy the sight of the Orchids. Three weeks _ 
before his death he was taken worse, and gradually slept away. He was 
laid to rest in the London Road Cemetery, Staines, on October 7th, in the ~ 
company of a wide circle of friends, His Highness the Maharajah Jam Saheb 
of Nawanagar, and members of the local and northern Horticultural 
Societies with which he had been associated, being also present. 
ORCHIDS AND Rooxs.—We do not remember any particular instance of 
our native Orchids suffering from attacks of wild animals, and the following 
note from the pen of the late Frof. James W. H. Trail, Aberdeen, of whom 
an appreciative obituary notice has just appeared in the Kew Bulletin, will 
be read with interest. It appeared in 1893 (Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist. Soc., 1893, 
p. 187), and we do not find any further reference to the subject in an 
exhaustive bibliography. ‘ There is a piece of undulating moor about three 
mules from Aberdeen, dear to the botanists of that city, under the name of 
Scotston Moor. On this some years ago, various species of Orchids 
abounded, including Orchis maculata, O. latifolia, Habenaria Conopsea, and 
Habenaria bifolia, all plentiful. For anumber of years the Orchids showed 
no signs of diminishing ; nor did they appear to suffer from the attacks of 
any animal. But during a severe winter eight or ten years since the rooks, 
much straitened for food, turned to the Orchids and dug out and ate the 
tubers. On several days during that winter and in the succeeding spring, I 
observed the rooks in large numbers scattered over the surface of the moor, 
hard at work, and I was able to convince myself of the object of their search. 
The ground was full of holes made by them. Next summer the Orchids 
_ named had almost disappeared from their old haunts, showing the damage 
done to them by the birds. The raid has hot been repeated, probably 
owing to the tubers being too few to offer much inducement to seek them 
out, and the Orchids are slowly regaining ground ; but it will apparently be 
some years before the damage is wholly repaired.” ; 
