BRITISH ALPINES. 65 



(Erica cinerea) and the Cross-leaved Heath (Erica 

 tetralix) are conspicuous on the moors, and on the 

 lower mountain slopes. With them are blue-berried 

 Bilberry, red-fruited Cowberry, Bearberry and Cran- 

 berry, and black-fruited Bog Whortleberry, and Alpine 

 Bearberry. These dwarf shrubs vary not only in the 

 colours of flowers and fruits, but in their foliage. In the 

 Bilberry (Vaccinium Myrtillus), and Bog Whortleberry 

 (V. uliginosum), the leaves fall as winter approaches ; 

 with the Cowberry (V. Vitis Idcea), and Red Bearberry 

 Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi), they are evergreen. In the 

 Alpine Bearberry (A. alpina), the foliage undergoes 

 a rich autumnal colouring, and hillsides in northern 

 Europe are dyed with their flaming tints. 



The Pyrolas form another group of the Heath tribe. 

 There are five species, and at first sight their delicate 

 white bells seem to betoken a relationship to the Lily- 

 of-the-valley rather than to the small, brilliantly 

 coloured bells of the heaths. It is amongst the mosses 

 of the pine woods that they find their home, and in 

 the forests of Norway all five species may now and again 

 be found in close proximity. 



From the standpoint of colour British Alpines suffer 

 in comparison with the flowers of the high Alps. They 

 fall far short in variety of colour, and in impressiveness, 

 unless the three common Heaths are classed with them. 

 If these are counted then over a wide landscape no 

 Alpine pastures can equal in brilliant colour the moors 

 of Britain when the Fine-leaved Heath and the Heather 

 are in their prime. Apart from them the colour effects 

 are more subdued. Perhaps the nearest approach 



