ASCENT TO THE JOCH-PASS. 57 



martin — this is tlie Crag-martin, wMck spends the summer 

 here, and builds in the crevices of the rocks. In the same 

 place and others of the kind, you may see the Alpine Swift, 

 whose flight is probably faster than that of any European bird ; 

 a splendid sight it is to watch him wheeling in the sunshine, 

 borne along on wings that expand to a width of nearly two 

 feet. 



I have already strayed away from the valley to speak 

 of these birds, and it is time that we should ascend to region 

 No, 2, by the well-known path to the south of Engelberg. 

 Just at the foot of the hill, where the path begins to mount, 

 you may hear an unfamiliar note ; it is that of the Pied 

 Flycatcher, a bird not unfrequently seen in England, but 

 welcome under all circumstances. As we go upwards through 

 the wood, we hear very few birds : but as we suddenly emerge 

 on a grassy slope between the pines, a large bird comes sailing 

 high over us, with large brown outstretched wings, which 

 we may believe is a Golden Eagle, so grave and silent its 

 flight, so huge its outline against the sky. After half-an-hour's 

 walk we come out upon the Alps proper, i. e. the flowery pas- 

 tures which form the bulk of region No. 2. Here the bird-life 

 begins very sensibly to change. The Swallows, as I have said, 

 do not venture so high: of the warblers, the only ones left 

 are the Chiff-chaff, which sings its familiar two notes in the 

 underwood far up on the steep slopes above us. We are now 

 on the ' Pfaffenwand,' a very steep and stony ascent separating 

 the lower from the higher pastures ; and here each year 

 this tiny little bird seems to choose for his haunt, and perhaps 



