PLANT LIFE IN ALPINE SWITZERLAND 337 
Every one who goes to Switzerland is struck by the beauty and 
variety and profuseness of the rac aie which meet the eye at every 
rn; many are so far interested as to dry scraps of them and 
bring them back to England, posably to worry their botanical 
friends for their names; but they are contented with vox et 
ide to 
before us. More than that, he is sa very in teresting one, for his book 
is thoroughly readable and the promise of “ simple language ”’ con- 
veyed by the title-page is honestly carried out; technical terms 
are only used when necessary—the affectation of omitting them 
altogether is aaa gp —and those which are not explained as they 
occur will be found in the very useful and excellent glossary which 
forage one of ee appendixes. 
e indication of the method and range of the book inay be 
ga Sihoned from the headings of Ne chapters, of which four are 
in natural ; 
The author tells us in his preface that the book is “not 
intended to give any aid towards ascertaining the names of alpine 
n 
phot ographs which diversify the pages. His aim, however, is of 
course to illustrate the life-history of the plants; and in this he 
has been notably successful. An extract will give a better idea of 
his method than could be furnished by any rime we 
ati random that on the singe ai and Moun 
(Semper montanu mM), 
for purposes of citation : ; 
hen the seed parminites on the primitive ie of some 
freshly exposed rock, a little rosette of leaves is first formed. The 
t ; 
ie ae | 
oO 
te stem is put out aiiek grows for some lit 
along the surface e rock. At or near its end a second rosette 
of lea f , which in turn produces 
me ces other runners 
offsets. If we remove from the soil a colony [of S. = we 
shall have no difficulty in making out the runners and their offsets. 
