250 SHORT STALKS 



Since the date of this double success of mine several 

 \vell-a|3pointed parties have visited the district expressly to 

 hunt them, l)ut, if I am correctly informed, their efforts 

 were fruitless except in one case — that of an Englishman 

 who killed a female ibex, while his servant got a young 

 male. The natives of this valley, knowing how small 

 is the chance, scarcely ever attempt to hunt them for 

 themselves. 



In the course of one of my visits to the valley, I made 

 a discovery which is worth recording. Masses of a very 

 beautiful white daftbdil with drooping flowers were growing 

 on elevated platforms. I remembered to have seen it in 

 collections at home, and, though I could not put a name to 

 it, I recognised it as a scarce species. I dug up a (pumtity 

 of Ijulbs with my alpenstock, and when they flowered the 

 following year, it proved to be Na)-cissus moschatus, a 

 daftbdil figured by Parkinson, a writer of the time of 

 Queen Elizabeth, and described l)y him as coming from 

 Spain. It has been in cultivation in this country or in 

 Ireland, probably during the whole of the intervening- 

 period, but until I found it, its habitat was not known. 

 A drawing of my flowers appeared in a gardening news- 

 paper, and I was besieged with inquiries as to tlie locality, 

 but I only imparted the secret to two well - known 

 enthusiasts, who together made a journey to obtain it. 

 Unfortunately, some brigand discovered the native who 

 liad l)een witli me when I made the find, and bribed 

 him so heavily that he dug up 10,000 l)ulbs, and made a 

 small fortune. 



When I first knew this district, there were a o-ood 

 many bears about. They appear to have now deserted it, 



