Occasional Notes. 163 
are the most difficult and, perhaps consequently 
on this difficulty, in that no specialist has 
devoted his attention to them, are especially unfor- 
tunate in this respect. To mention only a few 
instances, and those of families occurring abundantly in 
Guiana, he must be a very sanguine collector who cares 
to gather herbarium specimens of Aroidece, Palmes, 
Pandanece (including our abundant and very interesting 
Carludovicas) or Bignoniacese ; for, until and unless 
some specialist chances to come and take some interest 
in these orders, the collector's labours will be wasted. 
Finally, to give a particular instance of this heartrending 
difficulty to enthusiastic collectors, I may quote the follow- 
ing words from a letter recently addressed to me by a 
botanical friend — " You seemed to doubt .... when I 
told you that nearly all our orchids were Epidendrum 
variegatum ; but at Kew they are just as bad. All our 
Gongoras they make a tropurpurea ) all the Rodriguezias 
(they make} secunde, and all the thin stemmed Epiden* 
drums — including our little one with the Dendrobe-like 
stems — imatophyllum." The terrible putting together 
of perfectly distinct things indicated in the above 
extract can probably only be appreciated, and fit- 
tingly lamented, by one who knows the plants to which 
reference is made in their natural state. 
Figures of Guiana Orchids. — Following that useful 
piece of advice ' when found make a note of, we insert 
the following references to figures and descriptions of 
Guiana orchids included in the last issued parts of that 
long interrupted work the " REFUGIUM BOTANICUM." 
X 2 
