66 ALPINE FLOWERS AND ROCK GARDENS. 



that we get is in some of the higher pastures of the dales, 

 which are starred with the deep pink of the Birds-eye 

 Primrose, or with the yellow and purple bloom of the 

 Mountain Pansies. For more individualistic effects 

 Purple Saxifrage, Mossy Campion and Yellow Saxifrage 

 are equal in richness of colour to what they are in 

 Switzerland ; and no Alpine rivulet can be gayer 

 than a Scotch burn where the Yellow Saxifrage 

 holds sway. 



The term British Alpines has been applied to our 

 native mountain flowers in the foregoing pages. It 

 is, however, a term which is not scientifically correct ; 

 and should it suggest that this division of our native 

 flora is solely derived from that of the Alps of to-day it 

 may be misleading. The origin of our native fauna and 

 flora is one of great interest. Many have been the 

 naturalists who have sought for an explanation of the 

 problems raised by the species of plants found in Great 

 Britain, and by their distribution. With a few excep- 

 tions, the plants are those of the mainland of Europe, 

 and the greater part are the dominant species of 

 Germany, France and the adjoining countries. Our 

 flora, then, is made up of immigrants which have come 

 to us from the continent, just as our islands are peopled 

 by invaders who have come from over the sea. And 

 without pursuing the extremely interesting question 

 of the invading divisions of our plants, we may 

 say that as far as Great Britain is concerned, the 

 Alpines represent the Celtic races, who were centuries 

 ago pushed more and more into their mountain fast- 

 nesses by Continental invaders. 



