204 The Alps in September. 



difficulty. We took a walk in the afternoon in 

 order to ascertain whether this were so, and the 

 result was interesting. Let it be understood that 

 at Hospenthal the St. Gotthard road turns sharp to 

 the south up a narrow valley, while the elevated 

 valley or plain in which Hospenthal lies extends 

 for several miles further to the foot of the Furka 

 Pass, which leads, not into Italy, but into the 

 Rhone valley westwards. Exagtly as the human 

 traveller into Italy follows the road up the narrow 

 defile, leaving the broad plain behind him, so do 

 the birds change their direction at this point, and 

 prepare to leave food and comfort until they are 

 on the southern side of the barrier. All day long 

 a little tract of broken ground lying between the 

 hotel and the river had been alive with Pipits ; but 

 when we walked further up the main valley west- 

 wards not a bird was to be seen, except here and 

 there a lingering Redstart. The desolation was 

 complete ; yet no sooner had we returned to Hos- 

 penthal, than we were greeted again by Pipits, 

 Wagtails, Martins, and even by a solitary Wheat- 

 ear, who seemed left behind by his relations. 

 This was the only bird of its kind which I saw 



