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THI' ORCHID WORLD. 



(February, 1914- 



CAGED ORCHIDS. 



VISITORS at the Royal Horticultural 

 Society during last month were in no 

 small manner surprised on discovering 

 a cage-like structure erected in the portion of 

 the Hall usually reserved for choice Orchids. 

 Exhibitors who arrived early for the purpose 

 of staging plants were not slow to express 

 their indignation at the supposed negligence 

 shown by those responsible for removing the 

 cages of a recent cat show. Enquirers soon 

 ascertained that this cage-like structure was 

 specially erected for the convenience of 

 Orchidists, wherein their valuable plants 

 might be safely placed, and away from the 

 reach of pollen hunters. 



Although the authorities intended this 

 structure for the inclusion of epiphytes accus- 

 tomed to dwell on trees, it resembled more 

 closely a huge bird cage wherein songsters of 

 the forest might be imprisoned for the benefit 

 of mankind. One of the first occupants of 

 the cage was a plant labelled Odontoglossum 

 Canary, which, notwithstanding its canary- 

 like form and colour, caused great disappoint- 

 ment to an eager audience by refusing to 

 break forth into song or even move its yellow 

 lips. An elderly lady overhearing the word 

 canary asked a youthful attendant to show 

 her the bird, but on receiving the reply that 

 it was really an Odontoglossum she pleasingly 

 remarked : " Oh, yes, don't they blossom." 



The second arrival destined for inclusion in 

 the cage proved to be a purple faced cat, 

 technically known as Cattleya Blackii. No 

 wonder, then, that the canary refused to sing. 

 The attendant in charge did his best to 

 prevent an accident by keeping the two 

 widely separated, but despite the attractive 

 sunlight the purple faced individual never 

 ceased to keep a black eye firmly fixed upon 

 his prey. It was not until the shades of night 

 were falling fast that the owner removed 

 the ties that so long had secured this 

 yellow bird-like form to its upright wooden 

 perch. 



It is rarely that we see the Dove Orchid 

 (Peristeria elata) exhibited at these meetings, 

 but here is a safe place found at last. How 



nice it will look comfortably seated in a 

 corner of the cage with the Pigeon Orchid 

 (Dendrobium crumenatum) to talk to, while 

 overhead might the Bird's Beak Orchid 

 (Oncidium ornithorhynchum) be carefully 

 suspended. If the Society could expend a 

 little extra money in the purchase of a small 

 pond a realistic effect could be given, more 

 especially to the Swan Orchid (Cycnoches 

 chlorochilon) and the rare Lizard Orchid 

 (Orchis hircinei). 



Perhaps at some future date we may have 

 a stronger cage erected for the safe keeping 

 of the Tiger Orchid (Stanhopea tigrina), who 

 will find good company with a few specimens 

 of the Leopard Orchid (Odontoglossum 

 leopardinum). A useful addition would be the 

 Bull-headed Orchid (Dendrobium taurinum), 

 and with such dangerous specimens as these 

 we are certain that few pollen thieves will 

 venture their hands inside the cage. 



Another cage, of smaller size, with some 

 finer netting might be found useful for an 

 entomological collection. And here we could 

 place the Butterfly Habenaria (H. bifolia), the 

 nasty stinging Bee (Ophrys apifera), as well 

 as the Spider Ophrys and the Fly Ophrys, 

 while a charming effect could be given by the 

 inclusion of some tropical Butterflies, such as 

 Oncidium Papilio. 



How such a Wonder Zoo as this would 

 have amused Jas. Bateman, who m the ) ear 

 1843 published the following note : — "Accus- 

 tomed as we are to look upon the animal and 

 vegetable kingdom as altogether distinct, an 

 astonishment may well be awakened when we 

 see the various forms of the one appropriated 

 by the flowers of the other ; and yet such 

 encroachments are but a part of the liberties 

 which these Orchidaceae are perpetually 

 taking, for, as if it were too simple a matter 

 to imitate the works of Nature only, the\- 

 mimic, absolutely mimic the productions of 

 art. But after having, like Shakespeare, 

 ' exhausted worlds,' like him, too, they seem 

 to have ' imagined new,' and thus we find 

 their flowers exhibiting a variety of strange 

 and unearthly objects, such as bear no 

 resemblance to created things, nor yet to 

 many of the works of man." 



