70 Mr James Jjlaikie's Notes of a 



hill was turiiod, wo came on a grassy flat wliicli abounded in 

 Nigritella angustifolia, Dry as odopetaht, Viola calcarata, 

 Silcne acaulis, Gcntiana havarica, Phytenma hemisphcericum, 

 and other plants. 



Before us lay the peak of the hill, apparently a granite 

 mass, unrelieved by even a blade of grass; but as we climbed 

 we found many a tiny plant clinging to the rocky wall. 

 AVe reached the top about ten o'clock, and enjoyed a mag- 

 nificent view of the surrounding mountains. Presently, we 

 observed what seemed to be a path descending the northern 

 side of the hill, and as it occurred to us that this must lead 

 to the Bevers Valley, celebrated for its beauty, and interest- 

 ing botanically, we determined to follow it. 



We had not gone far before we began to doubt the wisdom 

 of our resolution. The path stopped short at a rock which 

 overhung a vertical precipice. What we had taken for a 

 path was, in fact, a stone couloir, ending in a stone cascade. 



But the rocks around us formed a garden where the most 

 characteristic Alpine flowers blossomed with singular 

 luxuriance. 



These wonderful little plants, nearly all perennial, and 

 sometimes less than an inch in length, growing in mossy 

 tufts in the interstices of the rocks, defy alike the burning 

 sun of summer and the severest frost of winter, and expand 

 their tiny blossoms with unfailing regularity, in many places 

 rarely seen by human eye. 



Here we obtained Geum montanum and Geum reptans, the 

 pure white blossoms of the newly expanded Eanu7iculus 

 glacialis, and the rose-coloured blossoms of the same flower 

 at a later stage, the pretty pink tufts of Dianthus glacialis, 

 the deep blue of Eritrichium nanum, and the dainty pink 

 and white Androsace glacialis. Less conspicuous, but even 

 more interesting, from their characteristically Alpine 

 growth, were Phyteuma paucijlorum, and the saxifrages. 

 Of the latter, we obtained — 



Saxifraga bryoides 

 exarata 

 muscoides 



Saxifraga stenopetala 

 Seguieri 

 planifolia 



As we gazed with wonder around, a chamois made its 

 appearance, and, surprised at the unexpected intrusion, 



