Among a lot of orchids received last June from the river Negro were a dozen large specimens of Cattleya superb a. These were wired on long flat rafts of teak and suspended in partial shade under a lemon tree, but where they received the full force of the morning sun. All soon began to make roots and growth. Some soon bloomed and proved the finest form of Cattleya superba splendens, very dark in color and with immense round flowers. Among them was one plant which had evidently grown upon a horizontal branch and it was wired on a raft about a foot wide and three feet long. In October it showed three shoots, two with flower spikes, and the buds on swelling were of a very bright green instead of the usual dark color. I laughingly remarked to friends, "there will be a white Cattleya superba." But as that orchid is the one with which the people in Para are probably most familiar, and such a thing has never been imagined, the reply was, "impossible !" One Friday night the plant was in large bud, which still continued very green-On Saturday I did not chance to go into that part of the garden, but Sunday morning, rising in the first gray of dawn, I happened to go near the spot.

Looking at me from the darkness I saw an immense white flower and found that I really had a white Cattleya superba ! The plant is very large - about 25 well leaved pseudo-bulbs - and resembles the best form of Cattleya superba splendens.

The bulbs are long and green, but this color is not uncommon in the species, and plants with such bulbs generally develop flowers of a light pink color, of little value. The foliage is very large, thick and massive, almost round. The two spikes have each shown three flowers, which are large, round, with broad petals and sepals. The whole flower is white as driven snow, except that on the crest of the lip there is a small blotch of orange. The plant is of strong constitution.