184 The Alps in September. 



sibilation of the Crested Tit, and two minutes 

 later we had a little family around us, searching 

 the fir-branches without showing any anxiety at 

 our presence. Shortly afterwards a pair of Ravens 

 passed over us, twisting themselves round as they 

 flew through the morning mist, in a peculiar way, 

 and without any object as far as I could see ; and 

 at the same moment a small party of Crossbills 

 on the very top of a pine began to chatter with 

 indignation at the appearance of a possible enemy. 

 A few minutes later my sharp-eared companion 

 heard the voices of the Great Black Woodpecker 

 and of the Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Schild- 

 specht) ; but the forest was here so large and 

 dense that we were obliged to move on without 

 seeing either. Passing slowly upwards, and en- 

 livened by the close neighbourhood of Jays, 

 Nutcrackers, Missel-thrushes, and by the occa- 

 sional song of both Robin and Wren, we arrived 

 near the highest point of the Briinig carriage-road, 

 where it runs for some distance almost at a level, 

 and is carried along the side of a steep ascent, 

 the hollow below it being covered with under- 

 growth stretching down to sunny meadows, while 



