THE ENGSTLEN-ALP. 6 1 



near relation of the Canary and of our English Siskin. I had 

 no wish to shoot such trustful and beautiful creatures, and 

 therefore remained in ignorance of their true nature till I 

 returned to England, when I found from Dresser's work that 

 ihej must have been not the Serin but the Citril-finch. The 

 two are closely allied, but the Serin seems to content itself with 

 the valleys and plains of region No. i, while its place is taken 

 in the mountains by its cousin. Mr. Dresser has an interesting 

 account of a successful search for it on the highest summit of 

 the Black Forest. It builds its nest in the pine branches, but 

 may always be looked out for near chalets or palings at a 

 considerable height, which it ransacks for food ; and an elaborate 

 search for its nest which I made in the chalet was a wild-goose 

 chase into which I find that more distinguished ornithologists 

 have been misled before me. 



If we now stroll out across this beautiful alp to the lake which 

 bounds and waters it, we shall find it alive with birds. Besides 

 the Pipits and the Accentors, there are families of young Eing- 

 ousels and Missel-thrushes, which have evidently been born and 

 brought up near at hand ; Wheatears, of our English species, are 

 perched on the big stones that lie about, and in- the ancient 

 pines above them, you may now and then see a Crossbill or 

 a EedpoU. In the broad stream that issues from the lake you 

 will always see the Dipper, and associated with it is the Grey 

 Wagtail, seemingly the only bird of its kind that affects the 

 higher Alps ; for the White Wagtail seems to stay in the valleys 

 even in the summer, and to love the larger streams and the 

 farmyard pool ; and the other species which I might have 



