rUK MED A TENS. 103 



value, and seedling plants slionld Le raised annually t" 

 insure a vigorous stoek and an abundance of splendid 

 I lowers. 



In the aveiis we have an example of a plant that may 

 he said to have iiiodihed its eharaeter m a variety (if ways 

 to adajit itself to th.e \'ar\'iny conditinns of a weed of tlie 

 world. It is not in this respect unique, for \ery many 

 examples of a similai' moditieation ma}' lie found in every 

 garden, esjiecially where hardy Eurojieaii plants are largely 

 represented. The lowland forms of such genera, are leafy 

 and liberal in growth, and their Honkers are often diminutive 

 as i/ompared with tlvj size of the plant jiniducing them. 

 On the other hand, the mountain forms are of dwarf 

 g'rowth with smallish leaves, while the Ihnxers are of very 

 large size as compared with the plants, and may be said to 

 be Ijorne boastingly aliiwe them, as if to attract the wild bee 

 or butterfly that has dared to sail so high, and that may be 

 starved unless favoured with a special invitation, by l.ianners 

 bravely eid(.)ured, to "\-isit the hospitable board. And \\-hile 

 the tiny winged creatures are thus attracted to a banquet 

 in the midst of the rocky waste, the llower has the advan- 

 tage of tjieir visits, as all generous hosts should be benehted 

 in some way by the company they entertain. In searching 

 tor the hone}' in the nectary of the flower, the winged 

 visitor brushes the pollen from the stamens, and some of 

 it adheres to his legs or wings: then when he visits the 

 next dower of the same kind tlie ripe pollen is deposited 

 where it is wanted, the purpose of the jdant is served, and 

 it quickly ripens its seeds and scatters them abniad ere 

 the sluirt sunny Alpine summer has died away. 



We talk lightly sometimes of " local colour " in works 

 of art, knowing that no .scene can be painted or described 



