Redpolls. 195 



heard, and the little flock which had puzzled us in 

 the morning came dancing overhead, and settled 

 so deep in the stunted pines I had noticed from 

 the top of the pass, that though we could see the 

 movements of the branches, we could not once get 

 a clear sight of a single individual. This was too 

 provoking, and I at once proceeded to crawl slowly 

 towards the bushes, getting round to the flank of 

 the birds on a rising bit of ground, until I was 

 within a few yards of them. All that I saw were 

 Redpolls, 1 and all of the ' Mealy ' form known 

 to ornithologists ; the autumn moult had left 

 them very white on breast and belly, and very 

 mealy on wings and back. They were, as far as 

 I could judge, a little larger than our British 

 Lesser Redpoll. Were they too migrating, or 

 were they going to spend the winter in the Gad- 

 menthal ? I suspect that they stay all their lives 

 in the Alps, and instead of moving southward to a 

 warmer climate when under stress of weather, have 

 but to make a short journey to a lower station in 



1 I afterwards sa*w three of the same species about some 

 stunted thistles on the Furka-pass, at a height of 8000 feet, and 

 on a bitter cold day. See Note D. at end of Volume. 



O 2 



