80 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
original plants themselves ; yet I maintain that some of the varieties noted 
in bloom, were equal, if not superior, to some that I have seen under such 
names, as C. T. delicata, C. T. bogotensis, C. T. incarnata, C. T. Colombio, 
and C. T. Corningil. 
The Cool house here is rather a novel structure, and one which I think 
could be imitated with advantage in particularly bleak or dry localities. It 
is simply a house underground. From the outside no part is visible but 
the roof glass, which is slightly raised above the ground level; side 
ventilation being obtained by means of a channel and drain pipes let in 
through the sides of the walls. The side and centre stages are, of 
course, raised up as high as they can conveniently be to the roof, so that 
the plants may enjoy the light. On descending the flight of steps and 
opening the door, which is frequently used also as a ventilator—the top lights 
being hardly ever opened—it is remarkable how cool and moist this house feels, 
and that it suits the plants they speak for themselves. Here we saw Maxillaria 
Sanderiana, fine large specimens, producing quantities of spikes, and also 
grand examples of M. grandiflora, Ada aurantiaca with about two dozen leads, 
Masdevallia macrura, M. bella, M. Houtteana, Restrepia antennifera, 
Oncidium superbiens, O. macranthum, O. lamelligerum, one spike of which 
carried over fifty blossoms. Odontoglossumcrispum, very fine O. triumphans, 
one bulb having fourteen fine flowers, O. maculatum, one bulb of which pro- 
duced three flower spikes, and O. Pescatorei, Cochlioda Noetzliana, C. 
vulcanica, and C. rosea. And what rather surprised me was that this is also 
where Vanda Amesiana and V. Kimballiana are found to do best, and if 
removed begin to go back. They have certainly grown well, one spike, the 
blooms which I saw and counted, numbered thirty-six. 
In this sunken house there is a partition, so that one department may 
be kept slightly warmer than the other, and in the warmer half are to be -_ 
fine plants of Lelia harpophylla, L. cinnabarina, L. autumnalis, L. majalis, 
and L. albida with eighteen spikes, Caelogyne cristata alba with fifty 
spikes, Miltonia spectabilis, M. s. Moreliana, Sophronitis grandiflora, 
Odontoglossum citrosmum, and Masdevallia Shuttleworthii. 
A rather interesting feature to be seen here is various Dendrobiums 
growing on the skulls of animals. A plant of D. pulchellum, for instance, 
so completely monopolising one—that of a dog—that but little of it could 
be seen, while a plant of D. Parishii seemed decidedly happy in possession 
of another—apparently that of a sheep—sending its roots in and out and 
round as though evidently relishing the object. At no distant date I 
rather suspect that the cow will be represented, for a fine specimen skull 
was observed carefully preserved in the potting shed, awaiting no doubt @ 
suitable occupant. 
H.A. B. 
