NATURAL HISTORY OF THE RIVIERA. 201 



sounded the death note of stage coaches, and few of the present 

 generation of travellers have seen the beauties of the Corniche road, 

 which runs between Cannes and Mentone, nearly 2000 feet above 

 the sea, and the railroad which winds along the shore. There is no 

 finer road for the pedestrian in Europe. Below lies the blue Medi- 

 terranean, and to the north a succession of rocky hills and snow- 

 capped mountains form a picturesque contrast to the olive orchards 

 and stone-pines which adjoin the road. 



On New Year's day my daughter and I determined to walk from 

 Nice to Mentone, over the Corniche road, a distance of twenty 

 miles, and make a collection of plants by the way. We breakfasted 

 in the hotel garden under the shade of some orange trees, whose 

 fruit, hanging in hundreds overhead, formed a picturesque contrast 

 to the scarlet arbutus berries close by. The cold morning air was 

 scented by numerous geraniums and heliotrope flowers, amongst 

 which bees and butterflies, and the humming-bird hawk-moth — 

 were breakfasting by our side. Most of the other residents of the 

 hotel were still in bed ; but one clerical gentleman, a new arrival 

 from London, was airing his French before the assembled waiters 

 "■ J'ai beaucoup de femmes,'''^ he exclaimed, rubbing his hands as his 

 breakfast was placed upon the table; translating for our benefit; 

 that the change of air " had made him very hungry." The waiters, 

 however, viewed him with astonishment, and not unnaturally took 

 him for a Mormon or a Turk. 



The first portion of our walk lay through the town of Nice, and 

 here we saw the small game of the inhabitants exposed for sale : 

 blackbirds and thrushes, hawfinches, goldfinches, mountain finches, 

 with here and there a woodpecker, Sardinian warbler and jay. 

 These constitute the ortolans of visitors, as short-toed larks and 

 wagtails pass for ortolans in India. 



One would imagine that the insignificant size of the gold-crest 

 would have saved it from destruction ; but no ! here it is exposed 

 for sale as food ; and we saw a stout gentleman come and buy one 

 for a penny. 



* I believe this mistake is frequently made. 



