350 THE ORCHIDS. 
centre, as in the dearest of nests, sits the imitative orga, | 
in the semblance of an immaculate dove, so spotless anl 
serene in its seeming repose, that we cannot wonder that | 
those whose faith makes hallowed emblems of all thing | 
thus suggestive, should have paused, awe-stricken at the | 
first view, and murmured in a half-whisper, “Zece Spiritus — 
Sanctus !” . 
In speaking of the previous orders, we have considered 
their degree of usefulness to man. But here there is very 
little to be said of the kind. Hardly a family among all | 
plants has so little known utility, and here, of course, the 
real royalty is all the plainer to be seen. The nutritive drig 
called Salep, and the peerless aromatic, Vanilla, are the 
most important products of this immense concourse of 
strangely beautiful things. A few are valuable as medicines, 
as the Coral-root, the Ladies’ Slipper, and one or two rite 
This is about the end of this part of the story, for, as hinted 
at the outset, the Orchids are no princes of wealth and 
treasure, but are royal in their incomparable and exhaustless 
world of beauty, the fairies and spirit-kings of the vegeta- 
ble sphere. 
We found in the last family that most cogent proof of 
superior rank and royal origin, the power of spontaneous 
motion, and a life approaching that of animals. The same 
thing is revealed here. Not only do several generà hav? 
flowers that spring and close in a twinkling to catch the 1 
sects that unluckily settle on them, or to resent the to 
that profanes their floral serenity, but one, at least, does al 
than this, and keeps one petal always moving; like 4 fing? 
pointing this way and that, up and down, as if for enterin 
ment, or perhaps counting the legions of some invisible 20% 
whose numbers 
“ Walk the earth 
Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.” wet 
We have prattled enough over this family, and y e ° 4 4 
hard to restrain the thoughts and the pen, when com” , 

