NATURAL HISTORY OF THE RIVIERA. 221 



There is a perpetual struggle going on between the animals and 

 plants among these hills. The land is unenclosed, and the goats 

 and sheep search everywhere for food. Every blade of grass and 

 every herb that is green and sweet is devoured greedily by the half- 

 starved animals. Only those plants which are very rank or poisonous 

 escape. Hence the foetid hellebore is found growing with impunity 

 on every hillside and in every valley, for its flavour resembles caustic. 

 The euphorbias, for a similar reason, are not molested, and they 

 number no less than twenty-five species around Mentone. 



The Mediterranean quassia {Cneonim tricoccon) and the square- 

 stemmed Corriaria, representatives of families not found in Britain, 

 are also protected by their unpleasant properties. They appear all 

 along the Corniche road, and it seems strange that, during the ages 

 they have flourished here, they have not varied as the spurges have, 

 but are confined each to a single genus and a single species. 



Until Mr. Andrew Lang showed me a translation of Theocritus 

 which he had lately made, I was under the impression that the goats 

 would not eat the rank leaves of the pistacia bushes (P. terebinthus) ; 

 but, as the ancient Greek author mentions that they nibble them, 

 I watched a flock, and soon found myself corrected by an authority 

 who lived 2000 years ago. 



We were not sorry when we reached San Remo, nestling among 

 olive gardens and terraces of orange, lemon, and carob trees. The 

 peaches, almonds, and pears, growing side by side with the Oriental 

 loquats, were in flower, and all round appeared spring-like and 

 beautiful. 



On passing through the town towards the hotel where we proposed 

 to pass the night, the sound of many horses' hoofs fell upon our 

 ears, and presently a gay troop of cavaliers came quickly by. The 

 men had broad-brimmed hats adorned with ostrich feathers on their 

 heads, and blue silk cloaks flying in the wind behind, exposed 

 beneath red and purple jackets slashed with gold. Upon their legs 

 they wore blue tights, and jack boots armed with spurs. Each held 

 in his hand a naked sword, and appeared like Agathos, or some 



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