106 ALPINE FLOWERS AND GARDENS 



flower, not far away from the white Alpme Mouse- 

 ear {Cerastiu7}i alpinum), the Grass of Parnassus 

 {Parnassia palustris) — more Hke a white Ranun- 

 culus than a grass ! — and the creamy-white Saxi- 

 fraga aspera and the yellow S. aizoides — all of 

 them blooming comparatively freely for this late 

 season, and often associating with dwarf and sturdy 

 specimens of the poisonous, scarlet-berried shrub 

 Daphne Mezei^euvi, and with the russet or grey- 

 black viper, sumiing himself while yet he may, and 

 announcing, probably, the approach of a storm. 



Now that the cattle and the goats have moved 

 lower down towards their winter quarters, many 

 a plant that had its bloom-spike eaten off earlier in 

 the year tries its best at this season to recover lost 

 gi'ound. In this way, on the pastures, Autumn 

 will be wearing 



* Late blooms of second childhood in his hair.' 



Here we may often find, even to the end of 

 October, such flowers as the two mauve, annual 

 Gentians {Gentiana germanica and G. campestris), 

 the Mountain Avens {Geum montanum), the grey- 

 blue Bearded Bell-flower {Campanula harbata), and 

 three of the dark blue or blue-purple Rampions 

 (Phytcuma Michelii.P.hemispkcericum, and P.orbicu- 



