THE ALPINE FAUNA. 317 



peculiar to the European Alps ; a variety of this 

 species occurs in Central Asia, Eastern Siberia, and 

 Japan. The only other Accentor inhabiting our 

 continent is the Hedge Accentor (A. modularis), 

 which is resident over the greater part of it, and 

 also in North Africa and the Mediterranean Islands. 

 It also extends its range across the ^gean Sea to 

 Asia Minor, so that really not a single Accentor is 

 peculiar to Europe. 



Both the European species are evidently old forms, 

 and the genus, as might be expected, is certainly 

 Asiatic. No less than ten other species of Accentor 

 are known, all of which are confined to Central Asia 

 and the Himalayan Mountains, and are therefore all 

 Holarctic. I may mention that much difference of 

 opinion still exists as to the true zoological position 

 of this anomalous genus. It has been located in 

 several different families by various ornithologists, 

 but has not yet found a permanent resting-place. 

 Another bird generally considered to be peculiar to 

 Switzerland is the Alpine Chough {Pyrrhocorax 

 alpinus), but its range extends across Asia Minor 

 to the Himalayas. Whether the European Chough 

 should not form a distinct genus is a matter of 

 opinion. Some of our leading ornithologists, like 

 Dr. B. Sharpe, are inclined to separate it from 

 Pyrrhocorax ; however, there is no doubt that it is 

 closely related to the Alpine Chough, whatever view 

 we may take of the generic distinctness. It inhabits 

 principally Western and Southern Europe, also 



