82 The Alps in June. 



for they are all asleep in their burrows. The 

 Snow-finches and the Ptarmigan, which in the 

 summer delight in the cool air of an altitude of 

 8000 to 10,000 feet, have descended to No. 2, 

 or even lower, compelled by want of food and 

 water : and so too the red-winged Rock-creeper, 

 the Alpine-pipit and others, which may be seen in 

 summer close to the great glaciers. In the same 

 way the birds which haunt No. 2 in the summer 

 I am speaking of those which do not leave the 

 country altogether descend in the autumn to 

 No. i, and there remain till the following spring: 

 among these are the Ring-ousel and Blackbird, 

 the Nutcrackers, the Titmice, the Alpine Choughs, 

 the Alpine Accentor, and others. Then in the 

 spring the reverse process takes place. As the 

 spring advances up the mountain-slopes, which it 

 gains slowly, not reaching the highest region of 

 vegetation till June or even July, the birds follow 

 it. Region No. i, now peopled by the immigra- 

 tions from Africa and the Mediterranean, sends 

 on large numbers of its winter birds to region No. 

 2, where, like the cows and the herdsmen who 

 ascend about the same time, they enjoy cool 



