1 82 The Alps in September. 



too well known, to the inhabitants of the district ; 

 for the people of Canton Tessin, which consists of 

 the valleys to the south of the central part of the 

 Alps, sharing the tastes of their neighbours the 

 Italians, were until a few years ago in the habit of 

 lying in wait for the birds, and snaring them in 

 vast numbers. When the hold of the Central 

 Federal Government over the individual Cantons 

 was made stronger a few years ago, the same 

 absolute prohibition of wanton slaughter was 

 extended to this canton, which had long been 

 respected in the others ; and in spite of a cantonal 

 appeal to be allowed to revert to the old licence, 

 the " Bund " held its own, and succeeded in pro- 

 tecting the migrants. No bird may now be killed 

 at any time of the year in any part of Switzerland, 

 without either a game licence, of which the cost is 

 considerable, or a permission to procure specimens 

 for a scientific object. 



We took no gun with us on this occasion, 

 being more anxious to observe movements than 

 to identify species. My plan was, after noting 

 the bird-population of the lower levels, which we 

 called Region No. i, to pass through the northern 



