localities of the Italian Alps and Pyrenees, and one in a 

 marsh near Larnaca. I had very favourable opportu- 

 nities, however, for observation of its habits, during a 

 stay of some days, in the early summer of 1867, at the 

 hydropathic establishment at Panticosa, in Aragon, at 

 which place we arrived before the regular bathing-season 

 had set in, in fact, we were the first visitors of the year, 

 and the huge hotel with its 300 beds was, as the manager 

 informed us, " completely at our disposition with every- 

 thing that it contained." The building stands on a small 

 stone-strewn plateau at the head of the valley of Tena, 

 and is, according to the hand-books, about 8000 feet 

 above sea-level ; a small lake or tarn lies within a short 

 distance of the front of the building, and the space of 

 flat ground that lay between them was, at the time 

 above-mentioned, the abode of two or three pairs of 

 Alpine Pipits. My attention was first attracted to them 

 by their note, which is sharper and more sibilant than 

 that of the Tree-Pipit — the species of this family with 

 which I am best acquainted ; it is considerably more 

 powerful than that of the Meadow-Pipit, to which it, 

 however, has a close resemblance. 



These Alpine Pipits have but a poor song, which, in 

 the case to which I am referring, was generally uttered 

 from the top of a stone, or during a short hovering 

 flight ; on the ground their actions seemed to us very 

 like those of the Tree-Pipit. I could not find a nest, 

 though there must have been at least two, probably 

 more, under the huge stones that lay singly or in piled 

 masses on the little grassy plain ; the birds were 

 decidedly wary, and evidently very cautious about 



