44 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
insinuated that it was impossible for him to form any opinion of a plant whose 
description was not published until afterwards. Every careful reader of 
Mr. Rolfe’s article must have seen that he had ample material on which to 
form an opinion, for he evidently saw the plants at the Royal Horticultural 
Society, and he carefully explained the basis of his decision. I venture to 
assert that no one is better qualified to judge, for he has made the subject 
of natural hybrids entirely his own, and many of my fellow Orchidists will 
join me in thanking him for his most instructive and interesting essays on 
this fascinating subject, and in expressing the hope that he will persevere in 
his efforts to reduce these difficult plants to an intelligible system. Mr. 
Rolfe has always shown himself willing to acknowledge mistakes, and when 
a man to whom Orchidists are so much indebted is thus unworthily attacked 
it is quite time to utter.a word of protest. 
W. L. 
(The article our correspondent alludes to does not contain an atom of 
evidence that the plants are not what they were represented to be in these 
pages, and therefore calls for no further comment. M. Cogniaux also 
expresses the opinion that C. x splendens is a natural hybrid between the 
two species in question, a conclusion which it was shown Messrs. Low had 
also previously arrived at. And it would be observed that the names 
under which the plants were exhibited were stated in each case, so that 
Mr. Rolfe assumes responsibility for the others. It is also within our 
knowledge that the article was only extended, and to some extent re- 
written, on account of Messrs. Linden’s exhibit, while M. Cogniaux’s name 
was adopted in preference to another for the same reason. We have 
also received letters to the same effect from Belgium and Italy.—Ep.| 
OUR ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Several notes respecting our illustrations have recently come to hand, 
and we are pleased to learn that they are giving so much satisfaction. As 
is well known, they are reproduced by a process which preserves the original 
photograph in all its fidelity, so that the different organs, and the details of 
light and shade come out in correct proportions. In illustrations of this 
kind the fanciful tastes of the artist have no room for play ; what is pictured 
is what is seen in the original, the details being reproduced without omission 
or e€xaggeration—a method of illustration which all who desire to see the 
characters of their plants faithfully portrayed will appreciate. Would that 
an equally exact method of reproducing colours could be devised. What 
a revolution in the character of our illustrations it would effect ! 
