Bird Observations 



a sinister, dark bird, his wings flapping like 

 a crow, sometimes soaring; tail long, a 

 falcon beak, the ends of his wings having 

 the quills spread apart like the fingers of 

 a hand. He seemed to be looking for food 

 from the ships, I thought, for he would 

 dive down once in awhile, as if he were 

 pouncing on his prey. 



July joth. Zermatt. Swift. 



July ^oth. Zermatt. Saw large black 

 or very dark birds, larger (I should think) 

 than a crow, soaring over the mountains 

 at the Staffel-Alp, a dozen or so. They 

 had conspicuous yellow bills. What were 

 they? Do not think their bills were 

 hooked like a hawk, but am not sure. 

 (This was Coracias des Alpes, Fregilus 

 graculus.) 



July ^oth. Zermatt. Chaffinch. Saw a 

 handsome male in the road, and later near 

 the hotel a female feeding a young one, no 

 song. 



August 2jth. Common everywhere. 



August ist. Baveno, Italy. Black-Cap 

 Fauvette. Studied songs of two birds, 

 both undoubtedly blackcaps (Sylvia atie- 

 capilla) though they were difficult to see, 

 as they kept in the tops of high, thick trees. 



But I had several fairly good views of 



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