336 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
ORCHIDS IN THE LAW COURTS. 
THE case of Rappart versus the Owen trustees was reported at page 267 of 
our September issue. A second trial was granted to the defendants, who 
on the former occasion allowed judgment to go by default. The case was 
heard at the City of London Court on October 26th, and occupied about 
three hours. Both parties were represented by counsel. For the plaintiff 
appeared as witnesses Mr. James O'Brien, Secretary of the R.H.S. Orchid 
Committee, Mr. James. McNab, from Messrs. F. Sander and Co., and 
Mr, Baguley, of Messrs. Charlesworth and Co. It will be remembered that 
the claim was for three plants purchased at the sale of the Selwood 
collection in August, 1895, as Cattleya Skinneri alba, Odontoglossum x 
elegans, and Dendrobi X . splendidissi grandifl which on 
flowering proved-untrue to name. After the plaintiff had stated his case, 
Mr. Baguley gave evidence that he had been for over fifteen years in the 
Orchid trade, that he knew varieties of Orchids well. In April last he 
called on the plaintiff, when the so-called Odontoglossum x elegans was in 
flower, and when questioned as to whether it was true to name he could say 
without the slightest hesitation that it was not O. x elegans, but an 
ordinary variety of O. Hallii, worth about 2s. 6d. He was sure that he 
had not made a mistake. Mr. McNab, the “next witness, stated that he 
called in May on Mr. Rappart, and saw the so-called Cattleya Skinneri alba 
in flower. It was not an albino at all. The lip was purple. and the sepals 
and petals light rose. In his opinion an albino never changed colour. 
Mr. J. O'Brien gave evidence that true albinos always came true every time 
when flowering, and that only those that in the first instance were not true, 
and which ought never to have had the title of alba given to them, came 
with a little colour. The defendant's case then commenced. Mr. Watts, 
the late Mr. Owen’s gardener, on being called, was understood to say that 
according to his recollecti n the Odont gh x elegans and Cattleya 
Skinneri alba had never flowered while in their collection, but had been 
purchased in flower ; but the Dendrobj Seen pee re Pe a Hacanl 
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had flowered, and was true toname. Mr. W. H. Protheroe, the auctioneer, 
was also called by the defendants, but stated that he did not consider the 
Dendrobium true to name. It came from the Quorn House collection, and 
they had proved generally untrue from there. He had had a lot of trouble 
with all the D. x splendidissi diflorum from that collection. 
Four different complaints had reached him about plants that came from 
the ‘Selwood collection being untrue to name. Mr. Commissioner Ker 
said that it seemed doubtful whether albinos might not after all revert 
to the coloured variety, and Odontoglossum x elegans to ordinary Hallii, 
but he reserved judgment until he had read the shorthand notes over agai. 
a 
