ooms with a specimen
clinging to it, and a select group of idols accompanying the shipment.
Less important, but not less interesting, was the reappearance of
Cypripedium Marstersianum at a later date. Verily, we orchidists owe a
debt to the St. Albans firm.

'In these cases success was merited by hard thought, patient inquiry, and
long effort. Working out the problem in his study, Mr. Sander fixed upon a
certain country where the prize would be found, and sent his collector to
the spot. Oversluys searched for Oncidium splendidum during three years,
until he wrote home that it might be in ---- or ----, but it certainly
was not in Costa Rica; yet he found it at last. In this present case,
however, the discovery is due to pure luck; but one may say that a slice
of luck also was well deserved after those laborious triumphs. One of the
St. Albans collectors, M. Forget, was roaming about Brazil lately. The
Government invited him to join a scientific mission setting out to study
the products and resources of Minas Gaeras. It is comparatively little
known. M. Forget was unable to accept the invitation, but he heard enough
about this secluded province to rouse his interest, especially when the
savants reported that no collector had been there. Accordingly, he made an
expedition as soon as possible, and at the very outset discovered an
orchid--not in flower--resembling Laelia pumila in every detail but size.
It was at least twice as big as that small, familiar species, but the
points of similarity were so striking that M. Forget pronounced it a grand
local form of L. pumila. And when the consignment reached St. Albans, even
the wary and thoughtful authorities there endorsed his view! Not without
hesitation. I believe that the name of L. Jongheana was whispered. But
despair had grown to the pitch that no one ventured to speak out. Yet by
drawings and descriptions, anxiously studied for years, all knew perfectly
well that in growth the lost species must be like L. pumila, enlarged. It
is, indeed, strong evidence of the absorbing interest of the search that
when at length it ended, neither M. Forget nor his employers dared to
believe their own eyes.

'So in November last year some hundreds or thousands of a remarkable
orchid were offered at Protheroe's under the title "L. pumila (?)." Nearly
all the leading amateurs and growers bought, I think, but at a very cheap
rate. Half a crown apiece would be a liberal average for plants over