CHAP. II To the Engstlen Alp once more 19 



covered for me much that I had missed in former 

 years. 



Englishmen now know something more of Alpine 

 birds than they did eight years ago ; Mr. Seebohm, 

 Mr. Howard Saunders, and Mr. Scott Wilson have 

 all contributed to the subject, and the last-named in 

 particular has thoroughly explored the Engstlen Alp 

 in May.^ But the world of travellers is still apt to 

 find but little wild life in the Alps. Few can travel 

 in May or June, when that life is in its fullest 

 vigour ; our EngUsh holiday time is August, the very 

 deadest month, for an ornithologist, in the whole 

 year. I grieve for schools and schoolmasters, and 

 think with regret of the good old time when there 

 were but two terms in the school year, and we could 

 throw our books away in mid-June. Would that I 

 could take some school Natural History Society to 

 the Alps before June is over, and give them a succes- 

 sion of glorious field-days where Nature has but just 

 awakened from her winter sleep, and lies in the sun 

 undisturbed by tourists ! 



Every one would find work in abundance. 

 Switzerland is indeed a wonderful country, and 

 it is not only its mountains that are wonderful. 

 Its history is wonderful : its system of government 

 is wonderful : you can study man there if you will, 

 as well as animals, or plants, or rocks. You never 

 1 Ibis, vol. xvii, p. 103. 



