44 THE ALPS IN JUNE. 



during the breeding-season, as it is now also in England ; and 

 I had to obtain a license from the Cantonal Government at 

 Bern, kindly procured for me by another old acquaintance, 

 Hen" Immer of Meiringen and the Engstlen-alp, to shoot 

 birds 'in the cause of science.' This delighted Anderegg; 

 but at my earnest request he suppressed his sporting instincts, 

 or only gave them rein in fruitless scrambles over rock and 

 snow in search of Ptarmigan and Marmots. 



I propose to occupy the latter part of this chapter in taking 

 my readers a short expedition, in company with Anderegg, 

 in search of alpine birds; but let me first say something 

 of the general conditions and characteristics of bird-life in 

 Switzerland. 



And first of the number of species, and abundance of 

 individuals. People sometimes tell me that they never see any 

 birds in the Alps. An 'elderly German, whose bodily exertions 

 were limited, and whose faculties seemed to turn inwards on 

 himself instead of radiating outwards, could not understand 

 why I should go to Switzerland to study birds — for he could 

 see none. And it is indeed true that they do not swarm 

 there, as with us ; in this respect Switzerland is like the rest 

 of the Continent. It is a curious fact that though we have only 

 lately begun to preserve our small birds by law in the breeding- 

 season, they are far more abundant here than they are in any 

 part of the Continent known to me : and this is the case even 

 with the little delicate migrants, many of which seem to have 

 a preference for England in spite of the risk of the sea-crossing. 

 I remember taking up a position one afternoon by the side of 



