VI MOUNTAINS 205 



and open skies, the happiness is tranquil and 

 cold, like that of examining detached flowers 

 in a conservatory, or reading a pleasant book." 

 And of all mountain views which he has seen, 

 the finest he considers is that from the Mont- 

 anvert : " I have climbed much and wandered 

 much in the heart of the high Alps, but I have 

 never yet seen anything which equalled the 

 view from the cabin of the Montanvert." 



It is no mere fancy that among mountains 

 the flowers are peculiarly large and brilliant 

 in colour. Not only are there many beautiful 

 species which are peculiar to mountains, — 

 alpine Gentians, yellow, blue, and purple ; 

 alpine Rhododendrons, alpine Primroses and 

 Cowslips, alpine Lychnis, Columbine, Monks- 

 hood, Anemones, Narcissus, Campanulas, Sol- 

 danellas, and a thousand others less familiar 

 to us, — but it is well established that even 

 within the limits of the same species those 

 living up in the mountains have larger and 

 brighter flowers than their sisters elsewhere. 



Various alpine species belonging to quite 

 distinct families form close moss-like cushions, 

 gemmed with star-like flowers, or covered 



