MOUNTAIN FAUNAS 89 



prey since the introduction of sheep into that area. At 

 first confining itself to dead sheep, the bird is stated now 

 to kill living animals with blows of its powerful beak. 



As is to be expected from the conditions, game 

 birds are frequent on mountains. Thus in the Alps we 

 find the ptarmigan, and it is also found on the other 

 mountain ranges of Central Europe, on most of which 

 the black grouse or capercaiUie is found. In the 

 mountain ranges of South Europe generally the Greek 

 partridge (Caccabis saxatilis) lives. To the pheasant 

 family belong the snow-partridge (Lerwa nivicola) of 

 the Upper Himalayas, and the very large snow-cock 

 (Tetraogallus himalayensis) of the Himalayas and Tibet. 

 Other examples might be given, but these sufiiciently 

 indicate the two essential facts — ^that some of the game 

 birds of the tundra and pine forests extend to the 

 mountain ranges of the interior, and that the great 

 elevated area in Central Asia has its peculiar game birds, 

 as it has its peculiar ungulates and its peculiar rodents. 



In regard to other types of birds, a few words may 

 suffice. In the Alps the commonest member of the 

 crow family is the Alpine chough (Graculus alpinus), 

 smaller than the common form, and having a yeUow 

 instead of a red beak. In the pine forest of mountains, 

 especially in the Tyrol, occurs the citril finch (Chryso- 

 mitris citrinella), while high up on the Alps is found 

 the beautiful black and white snow-finch {Monti- 

 fringilla nivalis), alhed forms of which also occur on 

 the mountains of Central Asia. Both in the Alps and 

 in Central Asia is found the curious wall-creeper (Ticho- 

 droma muraria), which Hves on insects and spiders, 

 found by probing in rocky crevices. In shape and 

 flight this bird has a remarkable resemblance to a large 

 butterfly, as it hovers over the rocks, using its long 



