"gem in the finest collections," a "favourite," the "most attractive of
plants." Its flowers were wholly "tinged with a most delicate mauve, the
base of the segment and the lip of a most charming violet"--in short, it
was "the blue Odontoglossum" and well deserved the title _coeleste_.
And the whole stock of two hundred plants would be offered to British
enthusiasm. No wonder the crowd was thick at Messrs. Protheroe's room on
that March morning. Few leading amateurs or growers who could not attend
in person were unrepresented. At the psychological moment, when
eagerness had reached the highest pitch, an orchid was brought in and
set before them. Those experienced persons glanced at it and said, "Very
nice, but haven't you an _Odontoglossum coeleste_ to show?" The
unhappy agent protested that this was the divine thing. No one would
believe at first; the joke was too good--to put it in that mild form.
When at length it became evident that this grand new species, heavenly
gem, &c., was the charming but familiar _Odontoglossum ramossissimum_,
such a tumult of laughter and indignation arose, that Messrs. Protheroe
quashed the sale. A few other instances of the kind might be given but
none so grand.

The special interest of the sale to us lies in some novelties collected
by Mr. Edward Wallace in parts unknown, and he is probably among us. Mr.
Wallace has no adventures in particular to relate this time, but he
tells, with due caution, where and how his treasures were gathered in
South America. There is a land which those who have geographical
knowledge sufficient may identify, surrounded by the territories of
Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil. It is traversed by some
few Indian tribes, and no collector hitherto had penetrated it. Mr.
Wallace followed the central line of mountains from Colombia for a
hundred and fifty miles, passing a succession of rich valleys described
as the loveliest ever seen by this veteran young traveller, such as