176 Mr. H. Saunders on Birds 



Alauda arvensis, Linn. 



I saw no Sky-Larks till April near Lausanne, and till May 

 near Neuchatel ; not many even then, according to our ideas ; 

 but the bird is found sparingly in the valleys and breeds 

 there. Large flocks came in autumn, but few remained after 

 the first snow fell. 



Alauda arborea, Linn- 



The Wood-Lark undoubtedly nests at Chaumont, where I 

 saw several pairs, and heard the song ; the clumps of trees 

 on that hillside, with a southern aspect, are just suited to it. 



Cypselus apus (Linn.). 



First seen at Lausanne April 27th ; common afterwards. 



Cypselus melba (Linn.). 



On May 20th I ascended the tower of the miinster at 

 Berne, to visit the well-known breeding-place of the Alpine 

 Swift, before the hand of improvement sweeps away the old 

 roof and erects a brand-new spire. Only some eight or nine 

 nests — solid structures about three inches wide and resem- 

 bling the bottoms of tartlets — were then built ; for the weather 

 had been cold, and several dead birds were lying under the 

 eaves, while only one nest contained eggs, two in number. 

 I can add nothing of importance to the descriptions given by 

 Mr. Scott "Wilson and the Rev. H. A. Macpherson of this 

 fine species. On September 17th M. Goll and I saw five 

 individuals, evidently on passage, in front of the Scesaplana, 

 in the Prattigau, our attention being arrested by their dashing 

 flight and white underparts. 



Caprimulgus europ^us, Linn. 



The Nightjar is found in the lower districts in summer, 

 but only in small numbers, or at most it is very local. 



Iynx TORQuiLLA, Linn. 



Seen at Lausanne April 27th ; heard a few days earlier. 



Picus MARTius, Linn. 



The Black Woodpecker was observed several times on 

 Chaumont and in other parts of the Jura, but I was unsuc- 

 cessful in my search for an inhabited nest. The laugh of the 



