68 Mr. H. M. Wallis on the Birds 



18. Accentor collaris (Scop,). 



The Alpine Accentor is a rather common bird among the 

 loftier Pyrenees, if one goes high enough ; I tliink it prefers 

 the main chain to outlying spurs, even of considerable height. 

 I met with it upon the snow at the Port de Gavarnie, and 

 Avatched it picking crumbs close to the men's feet at the 

 Observatory upon the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, where it 

 probably was ne^^ting, for it left some hole, which I could 

 not identify, in the loosely-built retaining-wall of the southern 

 terrace. This was on June 3 1st. I believe a pair w^ere 

 nesting at the top of the Col de Allanz, S.W. of Gavarnie, 

 8255 feet. Near the summit of Salarou, on the Spanish 

 side, the behaviour of a pair led me to their nest. It was 

 empty, though ready for eggs, and was placed in a crevice 

 into which one's hand passed with difficulty. Superficially 

 it resembled a rather bulky nest of a Hedge- Sparrow, but I 

 could see no green moss about it. 



This bird sings better, has more of a voice, and is in every 

 way a finer bird than the next species. When seen close at 

 hand it discovers chestnut flanks and more beautiful fea- 

 thering than some of its portraits credit it with. Unlike 

 most Pyrenean birds it is rather tame, allowing one to ap- 

 proach it more nearly than the Snow-Finch usually will, or 

 the Water-Pipit. At the Breche de Tuquerouye (8775 feet) 

 the Alpine Accentors seemed very much at home, although 

 everything save vertical cliffs was under snow. 



19. Accentor modularis (Linn.). 



We saw the Hedge Sparrow at Eaux-Bonnes, but lost 

 sight of it among the higher valleys on the P'rench side, to 

 find it hatching a nestful of eggs among the box-bushes of 

 the Valle de Ara, between 3000 and 4000 feet above sea- 

 level. 



20. AcREDULA iRBYi, Sliarpc & Dresser. 



21. AcREDULA ROSEA (Blvtll). 



Some long-tailed Tits with greyish, almost white scapulars, 

 were playing among the trees near the railway-station at 



