CHAPTER IX 



THE ALPINE THICKETS AND FOEESTS 



THE shrubby plants, forming the Alpine thickets and 

 the fringe of the Pine forests, are very interesting, 

 and well repay attention. 



The Alpenroses and the Alpine Rose, which are 

 commonly found growing in such positions, have 

 been already discussed in the first chapter. The 

 former are perhaps the most characteristic plants of 

 the Alpine thickets, and frequently form regular 

 terraces on the hillsides. With them are often 

 associated many other plants, especially the Bilberries 

 and Honeysuckles, which we will discuss in the 

 present chapter. 



It is rather remarkable that the fruits of nearly all 

 the shrubby plants of the Alpine thickets, with the 

 exception of the Alpenroses and a few others, are 

 berries or other succulent fruits, for bird-life is 

 remarkably scarce in the Alpine world. In the 

 Lowlands such fruits are greedily devoured by birds, 

 which distribute the seeds to some distance from the 

 parent plant, the fleshy pulp of the berry being an 



