THE ORCHID REVIEN. 183 
and also displayed a varied group, consisting chiefly of varieties of the same 
species, which received a Vote of Thanks. 
James Anderson, Esq., Rusholme, showed a white Odontoglossum 
crispum. es 
W. Bolton, Esq., Wilderspool, sent cut blooms of Cattleya Mendelii 
of fine quality, Odontoglossums, Lelia pumila, &c. 
—S s — *=<>- e—_— 
ARE VARIETIES CONSTANT? 
WITH reference to the query on p. 136, Are varieties constant ? my reply, 
shortly put, is yes, except Odontoglossum Pescatorei, which has played 
some odd tricks by losing its spots entirely one year and regaining them 
when it was strong, as before. I have scores of dried blooms, and they 
go to show that as the plant gets to its zenith the spots increase. When 
it gets weaker, from any cause, the spots are not so good as before, though 
quite enough to distinguish the variety, as far as I have ever seen. 
I have one O. crispum, that only bore a single bloom in 1896, a fine 
round one, absolutely spotless, except the lip. I kept it, and 1897 proved 
it a finely-spotted form in all the six blooms it had. 
De Barri CRAWSHAY. 
Rosefield, Sevenoaks. 
planter mt iben 
ORCHIDS AT THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
THE last meeting before the Temple Show is usually a small one, but on 
May 11th the display at the Drill Hall, James’ Street, Westminster, was 
fully up to the average, six Medals, four Awards of Merit, and two Botanical 
Certificates being given. 
A. H. Smee, Esq., The Grange, Wallington (gr. Mr. Cummins), 
exhibited a very fine group, to which a Silver Flora Medal was given. 
It consisted largely of showy Cattleyas, some forms of C. Mendelii, and C. 
Mossiz being very fine, with the curious little Oncidium unicorne, 
Bulbophyllum saurocephalum with three spikes, and other interesting 
things. A Botanical Certificate was given to the pretty little Cirrhopetalum 
elegantulum. 
Walter C. Walker, Esq., Percy Lodge, Winchmore Hill (gr. Mr. Cragg), 
also received a Silver Flora Medal for a very fine group, including Lelia 
purpurata, L. grandis, and L. Boothiana, good forms of Cattleya Mendelu, 
C. Mossiz, C. Schroedere, C. granulosa, C. intermedia, some good 
Odontoglossum crispum, and others, also fine forms of Oncidium 
Marshallianum, O. concolor, O. varicosum Rogersii, &c. 
