36 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
Germania et Virginia, by Dr. Ernest H. L. Krauss, with other names almost 
equally formidable. Well may my correspondent observe, How much better 
are such pretty names as P. X Niobe and P. X Juno! 
ARGUS. 
ORCHIDS AT THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, 
CALCUTTA. 
It may be interesting to readers of the ORCHID REviEW to have a short 
note on the cultivation of our favourites at Calcutta, and the following will 
give an idea how we are geographicaliy and climatically situated. 
Calcutta is, as may be seen on the map, situated just within the tropics. 
It has a very prominent cold season, during which the thermometer is_ 
known to fall as low as 45° Fahr. on the grass, whilst during the hot 
weather a hard, merciless sunlight predominates, which often gives a 
temperature as high as 100° in the shade. It will be understood that these 
great extremes are the cause why health, or even life, for what may be called 
really tropical species, is an impossibility. 
It will also explain the difficulties under which Orchid cultivation is 
carried out in the plains of Bengal. Tropical species seem to suffer greatly 
during the cold season, and on the other hand Himalayan species do not 
thrive successfully during hot weather. It may also be interesting to state 
that Burmese Orchids are quite as difficult to keep alive here as they are in 
European collections. Brazilian species also present many difficulties, and 
I may take Cattleyas and Lelias for examples, these being the stars of so 
many European houses. There is very little to be done with them as 
compared with what can be done at home. I have tried on separate plants, 
giving to each what we know as their essential requirements, but the results 
are comparatively insignificant, and the climate seems to be against them 
altogether. The labiata group especially does badly ; the long bulbed section 
seems to do a little better. 
Among Oncidiums, all the fleshy-leaved group, as O. luridum, 
Lanceanum, and splendidum, as well as the old O. ampliatum and O. 
Papilio, succeed fairly well, and seem to flower annually. The others, as 
O. crispum, Forbesii, concolor, tigrinum, pretextum, varicosum, &c., appear 
to be unable to stand our excessive summer heat. 
Amongst Madagascar plants I may mention that the old Angraecum 
sesquipedale grows and flowers pretty well, but such species as A. eburneum 
and its allies do not flower at all. Many readers will think that the curious 
oe speciosum ought to flower with us, as it grows so freely 
pore, but I am sorry to state that the two specimens we possess 
present the same peculiarity as the well-known Kew plant: they are 
