Birds of the Upper Engadine. 25 



13,300 feet above the level of the sea. To the botanist the 

 Maloja Hotel forms a base of operations where, even in August, 

 the spring alpine flora may be worked without too much 

 climbing, as it is situated almost at the limit of forest-growth. 

 The commonest trees are small examples of the Siberian cedar 

 {Pinus cenibra), and the larch and spruce are small and 

 stunted. On the other hand the rhododendrons are in all 

 their splendour, especially in June and early in July. In 

 August it requires a climb of from one to two thousand feet 

 to reach the most characteristic alpine plants — the deep blue 

 gentians on the grass, the rarer saxifrages on the rocks, and 

 the beautiful purple toad-flax [Linaria a/pina) on the screes. 

 Higher still the almost stalkless alpine forms of the cobalt- 

 blue forget-me-not, the white stitchwort, and the prussian- 

 blue rampion [Phyteuma) vie in beauty with the deep-red 

 flowers of the alpine campion,, the pale-pink soldanella, and 

 the grey edelweis. 



The agriculture of the Upper Engadine is extremely simple. 

 The valley is meadow broken up with rock, and the moun- 

 tain is rock interspersed with pasture. From the lormer two 

 or three crops of hay are cut every season, and on the latter 

 flocks of sheep and herds of cows and goats graze. On the 

 approach of winter men, cattle, and hay migrate down the 

 pass almost into Italy. 



The birds of this district are comparatively few, but 

 amongst them are several of special interest to the British 

 ornithologist. Amongst the pines the most interesting species 

 are the Nutcracker [Nucifraya caryocatactes) , the Cro&&h\\\ 

 [Loxia curvirostra) , and the Mealy Redpole {Fringilla linaria) . 

 On the meadows and pasture Alpine Pipits [Anthus spino- 

 letta) abound, and on the rocks Black Redstarts {Ruticilla 

 tithys) are common. Occasionally a Wall-creeper [Ticho- 

 droina muraria) may be seen in a narrow gorge, flitting like 

 a butterfly on the face of the precipice, and still more rarely 

 a passing glimpse of an Alpine Swift {Cypselus melba) may 

 be caught as it dashes past the crumbling granite or serpen- 

 tine amidst the ice and snow of the higher peaks. Both the 

 Common Sandjnpcr {Totauus hypoleucus) and the Marsh- 



