LICHENS. 147 
low in the scale of organization as this, is surely a 
striking proof of the great importance of even the 
smallest and meanest objects in nature. 
When in Norway several years ago I saw a herd 
of reindeer feeding upon the reindeer-moss on the 
summit of one of the Dovrefjeld Mountains. The 
lichen presented a different appearance from the 
variety which grows in this country. It formed 
immense consistent masses nearly a foot in depth, 
of a beautiful cream colour, and of wonderful 
elasticity, springing up when the foot sank into it 
up to the ankle. The individual plants were ex- 
ceedingly beautiful, richly and intricately branched. 
There are three distinct varieties of it to be seen 
in Norway, one found in forests and called C. sy/- 
vatica, one on the lower moors and called C. alpes- 
tris, and the finest of all which inhabits the 
highest mountain ranges, viz., the C. grandis. Like 
all lichens and Alpine plants it becomes more 
luxuriant and lovely the higher its range. On the 
Dovrefjeld it formed one of the loveliest spec- 
tacles of the kind upon which my eye ever rested, 
I found that in many parts of Norway it is used 
as winter fodder for the cattle. At the end of 
September it is scraped by means of large iron 
rakes into heaps, whose position is marked by.tall 
poles; and when the roads are made accessible by 
the first fall of snow, they are carried down to the 
