172 Mr. H. Saunders on Birds 



tiful; but I only found it nesting in old trees^ not in houses, 

 as with us ; and it was never seen on Chaumont. In autumn 

 vast flocks frequented the vineyards at Neuchjitel, and notices 

 were posted in the streets, calling the attention of proprietors 

 to the fact that, during the vintage, this and other species 

 injurious to grapes were exempted from the protection con- 

 ferred during the rest of the year by Swiss legislation. 

 Seldom seen in winter at Vevey. 



Pyrrhocorax alpinus, Koch. 



Flocks of the Yellow-billed Alpine Chough were observed, 

 as might have been expected, in the Orisons during the 

 month of September. I was unprepared to find this species 

 as low down as the vineyards above Lake Leman, but on 

 November 13th, while walking up to Les Avants from 

 Montreux, several flights passed over — some so close that 

 I could see their yellow bills — and settled down in the 

 higher vineyards. Their note first attracted my attention ; 

 it was a rolling tir-kee, tir-kee, which, when uttered in 

 chorus, was really melodious. Of course I am well aware, 

 from experience in Spain and in the Pyrenees, that this species 

 has a harsher note when disturbed; but these birds were evi- 

 dently in the best of humours, anticipating something good 

 (pi'obably small snails) among the now neatly-tended vines. 

 I afterwards saw this Chough on several occasions, tumbling 

 about and " kiting " after its fashion. 



The Red-billed Chough (P. graculus) I did not meet with 

 in the wild state, but I heard of it as near as Champery. 

 Mr. E. Zollikofer has both species in his aviary at St. Gall. 



NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES (LiuU.). 



In winter the Nutcracker is widely distributed, and in 

 February one was feeding for some time in the garden of my 

 friend, Mr, Goll, at Lausanne. Nests with eggs were taken 

 on March 21st and 24th, in the main chain of the Jura, 

 and one of these, with its contents, was presented to me by 

 M. Nicoud, who subsequently showed me the site. The 

 nest, quite difi'erent from that of the Jay, but not unlike that 

 of Perisoreus infaustus, was in a red spruce, close to the 



