128 ALPINE FLOWERS [PART I. 



ing love of country would be excusable in the inhabitants of 

 these happy spots, enriched with the vine and other products of 

 the south, sheltered by evergreen woods ,and walled in by arctic 

 hills. 



We will hasten by the streams that feed Lake Maggiore, and 

 stop for a while near the islands on its fair expanse. Mountains 

 with dense green woods creeping to their very tops are reflected 

 in the transparent water, in which they seem to be rooted, so 

 near do they rise from its margin, and only showing their stony 

 ribs here and there, where a deep scar or scarp occurs, too 

 precipitous for vegetation. 



The isles look pretty, but not beautiful, because of the 

 rather extensive and decidedly ugly buildings and terraces 

 upon them ; but they are only specks in a great natural 

 garden. Brockenden is quite right when he says of one of 

 the islands: "It is worthy only of a rich man's misplaced 

 extravagance, and of the taste of a confectioner." The Maiden- 

 hair Fern is abundant on the islands. The vegetation here 

 and on the margins of the lake is often of an interesting 

 character, quite sub-tropical in some places ; but as our busi- 

 ness is with alpine and rock plants only, we must pass all this 

 by, and hasten on to the shores of Como. When approaching 

 Isola Madre, the first thing that struck my attention was a 

 plant like a greyish heath, covered with light rosy flowers, 

 growing out of the top of a wall. It proved to be an old 

 friend, the Cat Thyme, and in beautiful condition ; as grown 

 in England, nobody would ever suspect it to be capable of 

 yielding such a bright show of flowers. Trachelium cceruleum 

 grows very commonly on the walls, and so does the Caper, a 

 noble plant when seen springing from a wall, bearing numbers 

 of its large blooms. 



MONTE CAMPIONE. 



Arrived at Lecco to hunt for the handsome Catchfly on the 

 crest of this mountain, we start at three o'clock in the 

 morning, as it is our aim to get up a little out of the warm 

 valleys before the dew had fled. Soon we find ourselves on 



