The Engstlen-Alp. 97 



manger, at a distance of a few yards, a little 

 dark-brown hay-chalet ; always a picturesque 

 object, whether it stands out on a clear day 

 against the mighty distant mass of the Wetter- 

 horner, or looms huge and uncertain in the swirls 

 of a mountain mist. This old friend of fourteen 

 years' standing gained a new interest for me on 

 my last visit. Every now and then a pair of 

 little greenish-yellow birds would come and twitter 

 on its roof, or pick up seeds and insects from 

 beneath its raised floor. I took these at first 

 for the Serin-finch, the well-known favourite cage- 

 bird of the continent, and the near relation of 

 the Canary and of our English Siskin. I had 

 no wish to shoot such trustful and beautiful 

 creatures, and therefore remained in ignorance 

 of their true nature till I returned to England, 

 when I found from Dresser's work that they must 

 have been not the Serin but the Citril-finch. The 

 two are closely allied, but the Serin seems to con- 

 tent itself with the valleys and plains of region No. 

 i, while its place is taken in the mountains by its 

 cousin. Mr. Dresser has an interesting account 



of a successful search for it on the highest summit 



H 



