Bird Observations 



a sinister, dark bird, his wings flapping like 

 a crow, sometimes soaring; tail long, a 

 falcon beak, the ends of his wings having 

 the quills spread apart like the fingers of 

 a hand. He seemed to be looking for food 

 from the ships, I thought, for he would 

 dive down once in awhile, as if he were 

 pouncing on his prey. 



July 30th. Zermatt. Swift. 



July 30th. Zermatt. Saw large black 

 or very dark birds, larger (I should think) 

 than a crow, soaring over the mountains 

 at the Staffel-Alp, a dozen or so. They 

 had conspicuous yellow bills. What were 

 they? Do not think their bills were 

 hooked like a hawk, but am not sure. 

 (This was Coracias des Alpes, Fregilus 

 graculus.) 



July ^oth. Zermatt. Chaffinch. Saw a 

 handsome male in the road, and later near 

 the hotel a female feeding a young one, no 

 song. 



August 2jth. Common everywhere. 



August ist. Baveno, Italy. Black-Cap 

 Fauvette. Studied songs of two birds, 

 both undoubtedly blackcaps (Sylvia atie- 

 capilla) though they were difficult to see, 

 as they kept in the tops of high, thick trees. 



But I had several fairly good views of 



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