The Culture of Greenhouse Orchids 



of mail steamers became frequent, it was a rare 

 chance indeed if any reached Europe alive. Of 

 familiar species I find that Mas. triangularis was 

 introduced in lS-i3 ; Wofineriana in 1855. Xext 

 came the glorious VfitcliH in 1S08 ; Harnjana in 

 180y. Nearly all the rest in cultivation are more 

 recent. 



Koezl reported an amazing species in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Medellin, New Granada — that very 

 interesting town which Philip II. peopled with 

 N'uevos Ohristianos — Jews converted by the logic 

 of the Inquisition. His Majesty thought that 

 removal from the homes familiar for so many 

 generations of tolerance and prosperity, under the 

 Moors, would tend to confirm their dubious faith; 

 and he judged rightly, for there are no Catholics 

 more devoted than the people of Medellin. But in 

 their neighbourhood grows a Masdevallia called 

 Za Vidua (the widow). Its leaves stand two 

 feet high, six inches broad, " as thick as a pancake," 

 said Eoezl. The flower resembles in shaj^e, and 

 almost in size, a snow-white duck, hanging with 

 the beak downwards ! Sucli was Eoezl's statement. 



He brought home one species which has not 



been seen since ; it speedily died out. This was 



Livinf/stoniana. I have told the story in " About 



Orchids," but not every one, unfortunately, has 



128 



