JuLy, 1907.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 22n 
to eighteen inches long in mature plants. These cavities are almost always: 
filled with the venemous insects just mentioned. 
“ But the glory of our trees in March and April are the masses of 
Oncidium altissimum, with long arching stems, often branched, and each 
carrying from 50 to 150 yellow and brown flowers. A little gem is Oncidium 
iridifolium, a specimen of which Mr. Harvey found on a felled tree last 
December. It was attached to a very small branch—hardly more than a 
twig—and was certainly an extremely lovely little thing. There are a 
number of other Orchids of much less beauty, and some quite insignificant, 
and only of botanical interest.”’ 
A final note by Mr. Hermessen throws a lurid light on the wholesale 
destruction of Orchids which is sometimes carried on. He remarks :—‘‘ I 
missed the greatest chance I am ever likely to have here of finding some 
good Orchids when 800 acres of virgin forest were felled, in February and 
March last, for rubber planting. This ground was all burnt over in May 
and planted in June. During the past week or ten days it has been my 
duty to supervise the cleaning of the young rubber on this ground (that is 
to say the cutting down of the destructive grass and weeds that come up 
all the time), and it has almost broken my heart to see the numerous 
charred remains of Orchids (no doubt many of them very rare) on the burnt 
tree trunks scattered over the ground.” : 
It is here that the danger of the extermination of certain Orchids chiefly 
lies. Judicious collecting seldom does much permanent harm, as the stock 
is soon made up again from young seedlings, unless indeed the trees on 
which they grew are felled indiscriminately. But when the forests themselves 
are destroyed wholesale, for coffee planting and similar purposes, as above 
described, the damage is irremediable. The establishment of sanctuaries: 
for the preservation of the wild Orchid flora in certain districts may some 
day be necessary. 
Puarus HyBRIDS.—With a view of completing the beautiful series of 
Phaius hybrids from the collection of Norman C. Cookson, Esq., mentioned 
on page 188, Mr. Chapman now sends three others. P. x Chapmanii (P. 
xX Phoebe x P. Humblotii) is a very charming thing having salmon-pink 
sepals and petals, with a pale line near the apex, and a rich rosy purple lip 
with a large yellow crest. P. X Chapmanii superbus has broader sepals. 
and petals, rather more uniform in colour, while the lip is also darker 
though not quite so large. P. X Cooksoniz (grandifolius X Humblotu) 
has a rather more coppery tinge about the sepals and petals, while the side 
lobes of the lip are veined with yellow and rich red-brown, the front lobe 
being purple. P. x Doris, the last of the series, was obtained from the 
preceding crossed with the pollen of P-. x oakwoodiensis, and has very 
