8 THE ORCHID REVIEW. (JANUARY, 1919, 
influence” or dominance of colour is necessary. This dominance seems to 
follow fairly consistent lines, though the evidence which I have is not 
sufficient to be able to make dogmatic assertions. 
My experience is that the union of similar colours gives constant results. 
White X white produces white; red x red produces red, and yellow xX 
yellow produces yellow, of all of which numerous examples could be given. 
But the union of different colours is erratic. Red x white produced 
cherry-red in the case of Sophronitis grandiflora x Cattleya labiata R. I. 
Measures’ var., namely, Sophrocattleya Wellesleyz Perfecta. Yellow xX 
red produced red in the case of S. grandiflora x C. Dowiana aurea, 
namely, Sc. Doris; but when this was carried to the second generation red 
x yellow produced yellow, the example being C. Dowiana aurea X Sc. 
Doris, giving Sc. Dorea. 
It will, of course, be understood that these colours refer only to the 
sepals and petals. And in reading these remarks there is a stipulation as 
to purity that I must make, namely :— ; fen 
(a) The white must be white,. and not a so-called-white produced from 
a batch of otherwise coloured seedlings, unless it has proved itself a fixed 
white by having been bred from true. I raised-a batch of seedlings, many 
of which are still ‘called “alba” by other people, but there never was, so 
far as I am aware, a'true alba, or even albino, in the whole batch. 
(0) The red must be. red. Sophronitis grandiflora is looked upon by 
some as bearing a red flower, but the colour varies in different plants, from 
a brick red, through varying shades to purple red. This purple comes out, 
and is even intensified, in some of the Sophrocattleya hybrids: I do not. 
include these purples in “red.” | ) , 
(c) The yellow. must be yellow. Cattleya Dowiana is sometimes 
confused with C. D. aurea. The one will not give the same result as the 
other. The yellow Lelia Cowanii and L. xanthina seem more likely to 
give satisfactory results as regards colour. 
From the examples given it will- be seen that my experience is so 
limited as to be no more than a basis for hope that the right track has been 
struck. Others may have examples which will either confirm or contradict 
my experience. I may conclude with the remarks that after twenty years’ 
deep interest in, and latterly very careful study of colour in relation to 
Orchids, my conclusion is, “ There is no royal road to success.” With all 
the care that one can give, and when all is done in the way of careful 
selection, the best that one can hope for in the way of “ success”’ is a small 
percentage. But the rejoicing over the successes greatly outweigh the 
disappointments. Nature is fickle, and Mendelism will never coerce her 
in Orchids. RIcupb. G. THWAITES. 
Streatham. 
