88 THE WOELD OE LIFE 



friends appear to have recorded such; hut it Avould be inter- 

 esting to know if any parts of Switzerland or the Pyrenees 

 were as rich as the Himalayas. I should expect not, as the 

 latter has a great advantage in area, and also I presume in 

 climate. The snow protection in winter would be similar, 

 but I presume the summer would be somewhat longer and the 

 temperature more equable, while the more nearly vertical sun 

 and much greater rainfall would probably lead to a more 

 luxuriant development of species than in higher latitudes, or 

 less elevated stations. Darwin points out that the produc- 

 tion of short velvety flower-decked turf depends entirely on 

 its being regularly cropped down by ruminants, preventing 

 the more delicate plants from being smothered by the coarser. 

 Now, this group of animals is one of the latest developments 

 of the world of life; and we thus learn that these delight- 

 ful expenses of flower-enamelled turf are actually produced by 

 the sheep or goats, the deer or antelopes whose presence gives 

 them a further charm, and which were themselves developed 

 just at the period when man appeared upon the earth, gifted 

 with faculties which enables him alone to fully appreciate 

 their beauty, and to utilise many of them as aids to his own 

 civilisation. 



