frniisfcr tiiem lo tlie sioves oP his iialive liind. In pursuit of tiiis object, there is scarcely a sacrifice wJiicIi lie has not
made, or a duiifrer or liardsiiip wliicb he has not bnived. lu sickness t>r in bealtb, amid the calls of ljusiuess or the
perils of war, whether detaiued in qiianintine on tbe shores of the Atlantic,» or sliipwrcckcd on the rocks of the
Pacific, he luis never suilered an opportunity to escape him of adding- to the long array of his botiinicnJ discoveries !
And, assuredly, he has not laboured iti vain, for he may truly be siiid to have been the means of introducing a greater
number of new and beautiful Orchidacea; into Europe, than any one individual of his own or any other nation. As
the channel Ihrough which his discoveries have found their way into his mother country, it would ill become us, in tJiis
place, to enlarge upon the generous, kind, and spirited maimer in which he has iniifornily acted towards us: we must,
therefore, without further preface, request his acceptance of the only acknowledgments which it is in the power of the
scieuce he has so much befriended lo bestow. Unfortunately, there is ¡dready a Peruvian ¡/ewis called (but not atler
our friend) Skinneria; we can, therefore, do no more thaii select some species which may not do discredit to his name,
and we confess we are unable to conceive one Ijetter fitted for our purpose than tiie magniiicent Caltleya represented
ni the accompanying Plate.
The colour of Catdeya-Skinneri (for we must henceforth call it by its title) is that of the most brilliant and intense
rose, mid tJicre is a delicacy about it which is not surpassed by any plant witli which we are acqmiinted. It is easily
irrown, and produces its flowers freely in the month of March ; 'but , when thej" first expand, the}' a r e of a very |)ale hue,
and not more than h:df the size to which they attain in the course of a day or two. We mention this circumslance,
which, though nire, is by no means peculiar to the species, to prevent others feeling as much disappointed as we did
ourselves, at tlie appearance of its blossoms while m a state of immaturity. Some of the imported specimens have
borno upwards of twelve flowers, that we think it probable that this number may eventually be exceeded in cultivation.
The present specics is readily distinguished from all the Caff/eyas as yet known, by the extreme shortness of its
column, which is not more tlian one quarter the length of the lip.
MH. SKINNER found this plant almost exclusively in the warmer parts of Guatemala, and along the shores of tfie
Pacific. Its familiar appel lat ion is T l o r d e Sau Sebastian," and like MN. SKINNER'S other namesake (the beauteous
Epidendnm Skinneri), it is eagerly sought for, ^^•hen in season, by the people of the country, as an ornament for the
temples and shrines of tlieir favourite saints.
The Vignette is copied from a drawing, obligingly procured for us by MR. KLEE (MR. SKISXER'S partner), and
furmshes a MEW of the Altar of a Church in Guatemala, which arrested MB. SKIS
Orchidaceai with which it was adorned.f
s attention by the beauty of the
StrUquir deluhrU, ot fsmi ¡mpooiu cullri^
* * gradln ubi p am corotiu
ccipiuBl&apli ijiiiuLicra nlU'nlia (erl"
JuTZNit, Sat. xL
m 1837 . l" I'l« dclcntionlhercw«o>rc some valuable plant.: anJ, to hi, .uhsoquonl .liip^rcck on the coast of ihe I'sdll,:, »e owe many mor« When
(after the lo:« of lii, good .hip the " Spartan,") upon .-.n inho.pitable .I.ore, hi. iir.t a ^
whether the slrsnge .pot produced any food, but wl.et)icf it produced any flanU !
+ In die wood-eul the Orchidncen- are represented witJj ilicir pseudo-bulbs attaclicd, but it is .
e .„ppoied. ti
!« tlic llo«er-ipike» only.