The higher we climb the brighter the flowers, and they grow in thicker masses, and each kind spreads out into larger fields than they did where we came from down below--great belts of blue gentians, whole fields of golden yellow globe flowers. You'd hardly expect this, would you? And you'll be still more surprised at the reason. Did you notice, as shown in their pictures, that the Soldanellas have only the bees for their callers? Just look if you can see any bees where we are now. Not a bee. But butterflies everywhere. And that's the answer. The flowers of the upper meadows are brighter, grow thicker and spread wider--all on account of the butterflies; to get the butterfly "trade." WHY THE BEES GET OUT OF BREATH Bees can't climb to such heights because the air is very thin, and, therefore, harder to fly in. Remember their little bodies are heavy and their wings are small. They get out of breath, like a fat man with short legs working his way up Pike's Peak. The butterflies, on the other hand, have small bodies and large wings, and so have the meadows of the higher Alps all to themselves. That the flowers here look so brilliant is partly due to the thinness and clearness of the air and partly to the disposition of the butterflies. A bee is all business, because she has so many mouths to feed at home, and is laying up honey for the days of the long winter. Mr. and Mrs. Butterfly, on the other hand, are gay and carefree society people. "We have no family waiting to be fed, so why worry?" This is the butterfly philosophy. Only a sip of nectar now and then for their personal wants; for the rest of the day the merry air dance, here, there, everywhere! They flit long distances without lighting. To attract the bee's attention a blossom need be neither large nor bright, as the bee goes straight from flower to flower, wasting no time in aimless flights. But to catch the eye of the butterfly the flowers must be brilliantly colored and grow in large masses. So up in the butterfly zone only brilliant flowers, and those having the habit of growing in groups produce seed and have descendants. Those that dress plainly and are not fond of company die out. [Illustration: HOW THE SOLDANELLA SISTERS GOT TO THE MAY-PARTY THROUGH THE SNOW]