140 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



culty, but cannot be grown from seed of plants 

 produced in Svanetia. Pears and apples of 

 a dwarf and almost worthless kind are also 

 grown, but not being in great request go for 

 the most part to feed the bears. 



In the forests grow the pine (^Pinus silves- 

 tris), a tree which the people call ' pixta,' 

 translated by my dictionary, Siberian silver 

 fir, and, according to my friend, ' Abies ' of 

 botanists ; the red fir (Pi?iea e.vcelsa), and the 

 juniper. Beech, maple, ash, aspen, silver 

 birch, walnut, and hazel form the main part 

 of the low-lying woods, in which raspberry 

 canes and currant bushes provided refresh- 

 ment for us and for Bruin. Amongst the 

 flowers we noticed three varieties of crocus, 

 some white campanulas, a beautiful kind of 

 daisy like that which English children call 

 the 'ox eye,' save that the petals surround- 

 ing its yellow centre are pink instead of 

 white, wild scabious, lilies, whose flowers had 



