on some Swiss Birds. 137 



to Tschudi, they may be seen in small flocks. In winter they 

 descend to the valleys and^ according to our old guide, who 

 knows the bird well, they may be seen about the village of 

 Meiringen. The food of this species consists, in summer, of 

 insects and larvae : in winter of anything it can get. We 

 never observed the " Alpenlerch " shake its wings in the way 

 our own Hedge Accentor so often does, and as we watched 

 it often for a long time together, we doubt if it has that habit. 

 Professor Xewton asked me if I had noticed whether the 

 Alpine Accentor had this habit or not. 



MoTACiLLA ALBA. " Bergerouettc grise," " Weisse Bach- 

 stelz.'' 



I found this bird nesting near Leukerbad, and obtained 

 two nests with five eggs in each, one of them being placed on 

 the roof of a chalet, the other on the ground ; this was at an 

 altitude of 4500 feet. Personally, I never observed it in the 

 alpine region ; but according to M. Saratz of the Upper 

 Engadine, " it arrives in March (at first isolated individuals, 

 then in large flocks), keeping in the valleys as long as the 

 snow is not melted on the mountains, and ascends to the 

 heights as soon as the snow has disappeared, after which it 

 is to be found along the edges of any small stream.''' 



Anthus spipoletta, L. " Wasserpieper.^' 



The Water Pipit arrives in April, searches for places free 

 from snow in the Alps, establishes itself there for the whole 

 summer, and in autumn seeks the rivers and lakes of the 

 plains, where some pass the winter ; but the greater part 

 migrate by small flocks into Italy. On the Eugstlen Alp, 

 on the 25th of June, it was very common, mounting into the 

 air singing, and continuing its song till alighting, invariably 

 on the extreme top of any tree near, generally either a 

 spruce or Pinics cembra ; it would then rest a few minutes, 

 and begin its song again while still perched on the tree. The 

 song is very simple, the same note being repeated over and 

 over again — tit, tit, tit. We must have seen at least fifty in 

 the course of the day, but though we searched most care- 

 fullv, did not then find a nest. As we were coming back 



