THE LAPLAND ALPS. 19 



not eatable. They live, for the most part, 

 in the alps ; but in some years thousands 

 of them come down into the woodland 

 countries, passing right over lakes, bogs, 

 and marshes, by which great numbers 

 perish. They are by no means timid, but 

 look out, from their holes, at passengers, 

 like a dog. They bring forth five or six at 

 a birth. Their burrows are about half a 

 quarter (of an ell?) deep. 



Here I found the little Gentian, or Cen- 

 taury, with a hyacinthine flower in five 

 notched segments {Gentiana nivalis). 



July 18. 



I gathered and examined the little 

 Catchfly, which resembles the common one 

 (Lychnis Viscaria) except in being smaller, 

 and not at all viscid. (L. alpina; see 

 V. 1. p. 302. n. 46.) The root is perennial. 

 Leaves oblong-lanceolate, approaching to 

 linear. Stem simple, round, smooth, bear- 

 ing two, three, or four pairs of opposite 

 leaves. From the uppermost pair springs 

 c 2 



