54 THE ALPS IN JUNE. 



Here also, at Stanz-stadt, and all up the valley to Engelberg, 

 and at Engelberg itself in abundance, may be seen the White 

 "Wagtail of the continent, which is as comparatively rare in 

 England, as our common Pied Wagtail is abroad. The two 

 forms are very closely allied, our Pied Wagtail in winter very 

 closely resembling the White bird in its summer dress. The 

 difficulty of distinguishing the two caused me to pay great 

 attention to these White Wagtails whenever I saw them. If 

 you see a bird in summer which has a uniform pearl-grey back, 

 set off sharply against a black head, the black coraing no further 

 down than the nape of the neck, it is the White Wagtail. You 

 must look at his back chiefly ; it is far the most telling character. 

 The male Pied Wagtail has at this season a black back, and the 

 female has hers darker and less uniform in colour than the 

 genuine White bird. I shall have something more to say of 

 Wagtails in the course of our walk ; but let me take this 

 opportunity of asking the special attention of travellers on the 

 continent to these most beautiful and puzzling birds, whose 

 varieties of plumage at different seasons of the year seem almost 

 endless, and whose classification is still by no means finally 

 settled. 



As we travel up the valley to Engelberg, and in the higher 

 portion of it in which Engelberg stands, a considerable variety 

 of birds may be seen which are familiar to us as British species. 

 The Whin-chat is nesting in the meadows, and swaying itself on 

 the tops of the long grasses ; our common English Eedstart is 

 seen here and there, but not often, on the walls and palings ; 

 the Creeper runs up the stems of the fruit-trees, and the Nut- 



