470 The American Naturalist. [May, 
as horizontally. He paid a brief word of tribute to his friends of his 
former visit, particularly Newberry, Leidy, Dana, Cope and Hayden, 
whose help and good will have ever been a great inspiration to him. 
In reviewing the work of world wide reputation that the American 
geologists are producing, Sir Archibald Geikie paid a warm tribute to 
their industry, their perseverance, their breadth and to their scientific 
acuteness. He contrasted in a very favorable way to the United States 
the policy of the British and United States Governments in regard to 
the printing, publishing and distribution of government reports. 
After these brief addresses an opportunity was given for meeting the 
guest of the evening for personal social meetings among the members 
of the Academy, and for greeting the guests from a distance including 
several well known geologists—Ricuarp E. DODGE, Secretary. 
Torrey Botanical Club.—At the regular meeting of Feb. 9th, 
about 200 persons present, the scientific program consisted of a lecture 
by Mr. Henry A. Siebrecht, entitled “ Orchids, their habitat, manner 
of collecting and Cultivation”; handsomely illustrated with lantern- 
slides by Mr. Cornelius Van Brunt, colored by Mrs. Van Brunt. 
Mr. Siebrecht in his paper referred to the hardships undergone by 
the orchid-collector, and paid a tribute to the energy displayed by 
three friends of the speaker, Carmiole, an Italian, who had come to 
New York when the speaker was a boy; Féstermann, who died about 
‘two years ago, the victim, like most collectors, of disease contracted in 
that enterprise; and Thieme, who had made three trips for Mr. Sieb- 
recht, and who went last to Brazil in search of the Cattleya autumnalis 
but was never heard from. 
Mr. Siebrecht referred also to three trips of his own in quest of or- 
_ chids, to the West Indies, Venezuela, Brazil and Central America. He 
then exhibited the lantern views, which were of remarkable beauty and 
evoked frequent applause. They included numerous representatives of 
the chief tropical genera cultivated, also with views of interiors showing 
the Cattleys house in full blossom, ete. Slides showing numerous 
species native to the Eastern United States, followed. 
Mr. Siebrecht then described the culture of orchids and classed their 
diseases, as chiefly because too wet, when the “ spot ” closes the stomata, 
or too dry, when they collect insects, He referred to their insect 
enemies at home, the “ Jack-Spaniard ” which eats the marrow from the 
- bulb, and the Cattleya-fly, now introduced into English houses. He 
mentioned the ravages of Cladosporium, and the great difficulty with 
which orchids of the genus Phalenopsis are preserved from fungal 
diseases. 
