JuLy, 1917] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 167 
the total weight of seeds gave the number last mentioned, It does not 
include, however, a small quantity of seeds which were retained for other 
parpores: and may still be regarded as an under estimate. The apparent 
discrepancy is partly due to the difficulty of isolating and counting such 
minute seeds, and an assistant who did this intentionally omitted some in 
counting so that any error should be on the right side. Further, on opening 
the capsule fully we found that a considerable number of seeds had not 
been shaken out, so were omitted from the earlier estimate. The number 
approximately equals that found by Mueller in a capsule of Maxillaria in 
South Brazil, but is far below the estimate of Dr. Scott in the case of a 
native capsule of Cycnoches chlorochilon received from Messrs. Hugh Low 
& Co., which was nearly four millions (O.R., xvii. p. 168).—R.A.R. 
A PLANT of Arachnanthe Lowii at Kew collection is showing two good 
spikes, and will be an interesting object when the flowers are expanded, 
as the different colour of the basal flowers always excite remark. It would 
be interesting to know by what insect this remarkable Bornean Orchid is 
fertilised in a wild state. The plant of Vanilla Pompona growing on the 
roof of one of the Warm houses is now carrying several seed pods, as a 
result of artificial fertilisation. Its thick fleshy fruits are used in a fresh 
state for flavouring purposes, but are said to be difficult to dry, and hence 
have not the economic value of those of the well-known V. planifolia. 
Many other interesting Orchids have bloomed recently, and among them a 
fine plant of Bulbophyllum virescens, with a succession of six or seven 
umbels of its striking flowers, and a plant of Vanda Charlesworthii, a rare 
and handsome natural hybrid from V. coerulea and V. Bensonii, has borne 
a seven-flowered spike. 
| i ORCHIDS AT KEW. 
A SLUG DESTRUCTIVE TO ORcHIDS.—In a greenhouse at Boulder, 
Colorado, devoted principally to the growing of tropical plants, 
numerous slugs are said to have recently appeared, and have proved 
exceedingly destructive to the plants. The case is recorded by Mr. T. D. A. 
Cockerell (Nautilus, xxx. p. 120), who remarks: ‘‘I have before me a 
Cattleya flower absolutely ruined by them. There is every reason to 
believe that the slugs came with a consignment of Orchids from Denver, 
but how they reached Colorado is unknown.” The slug has been identified 
as Limax arboreum var. subrufa, a form common in Belgium, and it is 
suggested that it may have reached America with garden plants from that 
country. 
