76 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



by txie incieasc ot tlie irregular portions the 

 term irregular peloria is used. it may be 

 regarded as a lorm oi increased development, 

 a good example being Dendrobium nobile 

 Cooksonianum, in which the petals have 

 purple blotches similar to that on tlie lip. 



Instances are on record of the lateral sepals 

 assuming the form and marking of the 

 labellum. In Dendrobium VVardianum Fow- 

 lerianum the lateral sepals have orange- 

 coloured discs with dark-purple blotches, thus 

 becoming lip-like. As the labellum and the 

 two petals constitute the inner whorl, and the 

 three sepals the outer whorl, of the perianth, 

 examples where reproductions of the lip 

 characters appear on the sepals axe termed 

 false peloria. 



In tlie collection of Sir Jeremiah Colman, 

 Bart., Gatton Park, Reigate, are two varieties 

 of Cattleya labiata which produce regularly 

 each year flowers differing from the normal 

 type. Mr. J. Collier kindly sends specimens of 

 both these interesting forms. One, known as 

 Cattleya labiata monstrosa, exhibits evidence 

 of false peloria, the two lateral sepals being 

 streaked with yellow, and somewhat con- 

 nivent, thus attempting the formation of 

 another lip. The other form, known as Catt- 

 leya labiata Lorna Fielden, has the lateral 

 sepals still further advanced in the process of 

 lip formation, and, what is still more interest- 

 ing, the dorsal sepal has entirely assumed the 

 shape and form of a petal. Regularity, there- 

 fore, has been partially obtained by the 

 segments of the outer whorl imitating those 

 of the inner whorl. Both plants are good 

 growers and do not exhibit any deviation 

 from the usual type. 



SIR JOSEPH HOOKER. 



The death of Sir Joseph Hooker will be 

 mourned throughout the whole world of 

 science, for not only was he the greatest of 

 British botanists, but he was one of the great 

 outstanding men of his age. 



Born at Halesworth, Suffolk, June 30th, 

 1817, he obtained his M.D. degree at Glasgow 

 ill 1839, and the same year was appointed 



suigcon and naturalist to the ziniaiCLic 

 l:.xpeaitioii led by Sir James Koss 111 tlie 

 Ercous. Uarwiii predicted tor Hooker a 

 great career, and subsequent results provea 

 mis to be correct. 



in if)47 lie went out to the district of the 

 SiKkini and iNepaul Himalayas, where he 

 obtained much information on the geogra- 

 phical distribution of plants. Humboldt 

 characterised his work as " a perfect treasure 

 of important observations." 



He undertook such elaborate travels m 

 Syria and Palestine, Morocco, and North 

 America, as to cause Professor Asa Gray to 

 say of him : " No botanist of the present 

 century, perhaps of any time, has seen more 

 of the earth's vegetation under natural con- 

 ditions." 



It was Hooker and Lyell who advised 

 Darwin when he hesitated whether to publish 

 a preliminary notice of his "Origin of Sj^ecies." 

 This was soon afterwards communicated to 

 the Linnean Society in 1858. The review of 

 the " Origin of Species " which most pleased 

 Darwin was that written by Hooker m the 

 pages of the Gardeners' Chronicle. At the 

 meeting of the Linnean Society, held to com- 

 memorate the 50th anniversary of the 

 communication of the Darwin-Wallace joint 

 paper on natural selection. Hooker delivered 

 — at the age of 91— a vigorous speech recalling 

 the far off times when the great events were 

 taking place. 



Hooker succeeded his father as Director 

 of Kew in 1865, and here his vast knowledge 

 enabled him to still further increase the great 

 reputation which he had already made. Of 

 the numerous honours which Hooker received 

 mention must be made of his attainment m 

 1873 to the highest position open to a British 

 man of science — the presidency of the Royal 

 Society. 



For a full account of his life and work a 

 very complete and excellent account may be 

 found in the Gardeners Chronicle of 

 Dec. 1 6th, and following issues. 



In 1909 Sir Joseph Hooker honoured the 

 Editor of the Orchid World by nominating 

 him for the Fellowship of the Linnean 

 Society. 



