ITER DALECARLIUM 233 



annually with the approach of white winter. It is pro- 

 bable our bird closely represents the common ancestor 

 of both species, which must have come north >vard into 

 the unoccupied hills of Scotland and Norway when the 

 vast glaciers of the great ice age began to melt off 

 the face of sub-arctic Europe. In proportion as each 

 northern grouse grew lighter and lighter during the 

 winter season would its chances of escape in the struggle 

 for existence grow ever greater. The darker-coloured 

 individuals would thus at last entirely disappear, being 

 one by one weeded out and annihilated, while the white 

 alone were left to form the parent stock for future 

 generations. 1 



The dark fringe of the pine-forest rested on the 

 white cloud-masses above the snow-topped hills of the 

 lofty Slerol Stadet. 



How sharp the silver spear-heads charge 

 When Alp meets heaven in snow ! 



The mountain precipices at times overhung their narrow 

 pathway as the discoverers followed each other in line, 

 some looking professionally upwards to the hills above, 

 some downwards to where the clouds floated in dense 

 masses below their path on the left hand, others curiously 

 investigating the walls of rock on the right, which were 

 as if fresco-painted by the variously coloured lichens that 

 climbed, holding tight by their tiny teeth, while other 



1 Condensed from Times, September 5, 1885 'Grouse of Great 

 Britain and Ireland.' 



