1 88 The Alps in September. 



than once, when out hunting at night, been almost 

 deafened with the noise they made when threatened 

 by the gigantic Eagle-owl. 



Of the ordinary summer birds there were few to 

 be seen, though the weather was warm for Sep- 

 tember. The Chiff-chaff sang now and then from 

 the hotel garden, and a certain number of Willow- 

 warblers were still about the beans and flax in the 

 fields ; Bonelli's Warbler (see p. 109) I was quite 

 unable to detect. There were a few Swallows, 

 House-martins, and Crag-martins ; Goldfinches in 

 fair abundance, very busy with seeds in the 

 cultivated land ; a few Robins, and a solitary 

 Whinchat. I began to fear that I had come too 

 late to witness any considerable migration ; for 

 even the Black Redstart, the representative bird 

 of these valleys in summer, was in much smaller 

 numbers than usual. Even the Starlings had all 

 departed to a bird, not to return till March. On 

 the other hand, the birds of the higher regions 

 were already showing a disposition to come down 

 to lower levels ; among these the most interesting 

 were the Nutcrackers (often in company with Jays) 

 and the Crossbills. These last-mentioned birds, 



