THE MUSIC OF WILD FLOWERS 21 



botanical contributions to Mr John Ball's Alpine Guides 

 were recognised as of the utmost value. Many of his 

 excursions were taken in company with Mr Ball, of 

 which there are fascinating descriptions in several of 

 his published letters. 



On one occasion, to his intense delight, Hort found 

 near Cogne the very rare Astragalus alopecur aides, a 

 plant which had not been recorded in that district for 

 over half-a-century, and " which alone was worth com- 

 ing to Cogne for." One summer he stayed a fortnight 

 on the top of the Stelvio Pass, and, when a friend ex- 

 pressed surprise that he and his wife could linger for 

 so long in such an unattractive place, he replied with 

 perfect simplicity : " Oh, but we have found fourteen 

 new plants." During his last visit to Switzerland, 

 undertaken in the hope that it might possibly restore 

 his broken health, the Alpine flora was a constant solace 

 and delight to him. He managed to travel as far as 

 Saas-Fee, a favourite haunt of his, and, though too 

 weak to walk far from his hotel, he found a joy and 

 interest in " the daily bouquet of Alpine flowers " which 

 was brought to him. In the last letter which he wrote 

 to his youngest daughter from Saas-Fee he dwelt with 

 admiration on the rare white Geranium aconitifolium, 

 and " the exquisite blue Alpine columbine, with flowers 

 not so large as I have sometimes seen it, but large 

 enough to satisfy any reasonable person." 



As another illustration of an interest in wild flowers 

 among distinguished scholars the name of Professor 

 Cowell may be recalled. He was Professor of Sanskrit 

 in the University of Cambridge and the lifelong friend 

 of Edward FitzGerald, to whom he introduced Omar 

 Khayyam. When Cowell was Principal of the San- 



