SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



273 



Riviera than Nice. It is a fine city of about 

 100,000 inhabitants, if we include the extensive 

 suburbs. Here every taste can be gratified and 

 every opportunity is available for long and 

 interesting excursions for the lover of nature at all 

 times of the year. The winter is "the season" 

 for foreign visitors, commencing about October 

 and lasting to the end of May and into the June 

 following. April, May and June are the best 

 months for the naturalist, though there is plenty to 

 occupy him at all seasons. In winter, for the 

 botanist, there are continuous successions of 

 flowering plants in sheltered situations, as well as 

 some species of land and freshwater shells for the 

 student of malacology. The entomologist will 

 find occupation up to Christmas and again 

 towards the end of January, and in February 

 forward. 



The winter's rest, however, for most wild living 

 things, whether animal or vegetable, is very 

 apparent during January, though many of the 

 days in that month have a temperature and sunni- 

 ness like those of an English May-time. On such 

 days one sees in the flower-scented gardens with 

 with sunny aspect plenty of the humming-bird 

 hawk -moths, large dragon-flies, or an occasional 

 locust which has ventured from its winter shelter. 

 Hibernating Admiral butterflies [Vanessa atalanta) 

 and an occasional Clouded Yellow [Colias edusa) also 

 gladden English eyes. It is not until after carnival 

 time, from which most events date at Nice, that 

 one expects to find the flight of new butterflies to 

 commence, which begins with Pieris daplUlice, and 

 the commoner whites, the latter first appearing 

 about the middle of February. 



On the hill-sides of the lower ranges of the 

 Maritime Alps that come down close to the sea 

 near Nice there are many walks where one may 

 see nature at its wildest, though so easy of access 

 from where men's artifice and luxury is nowhere 

 more apparent. These rambles are facilitated by 

 the aid of the numerous country omnibuses which 

 run out of the city in various directions at wonder- 

 fully cheap fares. By their aid much time and 

 fatigue, are saved as one arrives at the foot of some 

 mountain path where collecting or observation 

 may at once commence. The South of France 

 Railway, also, is a great boon to excursionists from 

 Nice. It is a queer narrow-gauge line which winds 

 about through mountain passes, over lovely valleys 

 and along hill sides, through some of the most 

 beautiful scenery in southern Europe. This line, 

 having been constructed largely in view of 

 military requirements, is very deliberate with 

 regard to its speed and service of trains. They are 

 not frequent and very slow. The country is so 

 eminently suited, however, for the naturalist 

 who travels by the line that he forgives all its 

 imperfections in his thankfulness for being in 



such delightful localities served by this little 

 railway. 



Among the earliest plants one sees in bloom in 

 winter, commencing in November, not counting the 

 many stragglers from the previous autumn, is the 

 little spotted arum [Arum italicum). Its greeny-white 

 flowers, with many brown spots and streaks, are 

 abundant nestling among its glaucous-green leaves, 

 reminding one of inverted pitcher plants. It is a 

 striking plant, the more so because so much in 

 evidence when others are less common. It occurs 

 nearly everywhere — on hedge banks, on waste places, 

 and even on mountain sides up to considerable 

 altitudes. Arum maculatum, so familiar to lovers of 

 country lanes in England, grows immense leaves 

 in the neighbourhood of Nice. A locality down by 

 the river Var possesses some beds of these plants 

 which are magnificent in foliage, both as regards 

 size and markings. The leaves are in full beauty 

 all through January and early February, though 

 the flower-spikes are not then found. 



Leaf variation forms a most interesting subject 

 for investigation in Southern France during winter. 

 There are many strange varieties among plants 

 familiar to English people, both as regards shape 

 and colouration. Black markings often appear 

 with considerable intensity on the upper sides of 

 certain plants. This is especially notable on the 

 lesser celandine [Ranunailus ficaria), which produces 

 a handsome variety. The local form of dandelion 

 is very peculiar, having deeply-indented leaves, 

 with broad apex divided into two lobes. This is 

 common on the Castle Hill at Nice. 



On mountain sides one recognises the fragrant 

 scent of the wild rosemary, which is abundantly in 

 flower throughout the winter from before Christmas 

 to late in February. It affects the roughest rocky 

 sites where there is hardly any soil to support its 

 straggling roots. It is a cheerful shrub when in 

 full bloom, reminding one of English cottage 

 gardens in May-time. In sheltered gardens near 

 the city, at Christmas, one sees the lavender bushes 

 also covered with flower-spikes ready to burst 

 into bloom just as soon as the nights get warm 

 enough to retain the stored heat of the day's 

 sunshine. This shrub grows wild on the dry 

 hill-sides, where it flowers much later than in 

 the gardens. 



About the middle of January the first of the 

 large purple anemones appear as a common garden 

 weed, and on mountain sides. These later become 

 abundant, as also a smaller mauve species, about 

 twice the size of common white wood anemones. 

 Many cultivated varieties of these plants are sold 

 in the market in February. At the end of January, 

 whilst shell-hunting with Colonel Beddholm, of 

 Putney, on Mont Gros, above Villefranche and 

 near the Corniche Road, I found some lovely blue 

 crocuses growing wild among the rocks. 



