6o THE ALPS IN JUITE. 



to the valleys, and there finds it convenient to aBsociate more 

 closely with man and his works ; in the Hasli-thal it is known 

 as the ' Bliem-trittel,' a term which Anderegg explained to 

 me as meaning that it regales itself on the seeds of the flowers 

 and grass which escape through the timbers of the chalet-built 

 hay-bams. Thus it lives on two distinct diets in summer 

 and winter ; for in summer it feeds chiefly on the innumerable 

 small beetles of the pastures, while in winter it is driven to 

 become a vegetarian. 



As our time is running short, we will now cross the snow- 

 covered Joeh, a pass barely high enough to bring us well into 

 region No, 3, and drop down on the exquisite Engatlen-alp 

 with its comfortable inn (600Q feet), whence we can climb to the 

 highest region at any time with ease : this well-watered and 

 well-timbered Alp being so placed that it stands nearly at the 

 top of region No. 2, with easy access to No. 3, and afiFords us 

 another glimpse at the former before we finally leave it. 



As we sit at lunch after our walk, there faces us exactly 

 opposite the window of the salle-i-manger, at a distance of a 

 few yards, a little dark-brown hay-chalet ; always a picturesque 

 object, whether it stands out on a clear day against the mighty 

 distant mass of the Wetter-horner, or looms huge and uncertain 

 in the swirls of a mountain mist. This old friend of fourteen 

 years' standing gained a new interest for me on my last visit. 

 Every now and then a pair of little greenish-yellow birds would 

 come and twitter on its roof, or pick up seeds and insects from 

 beneath its raised floor. I took these at fiirst for the Serin-finch, 

 the well-known favourite cage-bird of the continent, and the 



