BIRD NOTES FBOM BBEMBANA VALLEY. 3 



amongst the valleys of Bergamo. It extends toward the north 

 to Valtellina, to the west with Valsassina, and to the east with 

 Seriana, like the latter being directed from north to south ; and 

 finally it ends in the open plain a few miles from Bergamo. It 

 occupies about 774 square kilometres, and has a population of 

 some 40,000 inhabitants. In its inferior part the river Brembo 

 runs through a rather narrow depression, which at certain points 

 is nothing but a defile, but it receives some important streams, 

 such as Serina and Parina on the left, and Brembilla and Taleggio 

 on the right. Where it meets the open plain it is swollen by 

 the Imagna, which at first washes the Imagna Valley. Beyond 

 Piazza the river divides into two branches, which are called 

 Brembo of Val Fondra on the east, and Brembo of Val Mezzoldo 

 on the west. Further on the basin of the river becomes distinctly 

 enlarged, while these branches are again divided. The first forms 

 the Valsecca, the Glen of Carona, and those of Foppolo ; and the 

 other the Valtorta, the Mora Glen, and the Mezzoldo Glen 

 properly named. Spreading itself here and there towards the 

 north, the Brembo receives, for a tract of thirty kilometres, the 

 waters of the principal Orobica ridge from the Pizzo del Diavolo 

 di Tenda (8882 ft.*) to the Pizzo dei Tre Signori (7773 ft.). In 

 this system we also observe Mount Aga (8285 ft.), Mount Masoni 

 (8150 ft.), and Corno Stella (7983 ft.), well known for the splendid 

 panorama that can be seen from its summit. Other important 

 summits are the Zuc di Cam (6714 ft.), and a part of the Resegone 

 (5716 ft.), Pizzo Torretta (8J50 ft.), Cima di Becco (7654 ft.), 

 Mount Spondone (7468 ft.), Mount Aralalta (6112 ft.), and very 

 many more. 



In the Brembana Valley and its mountains small resident 

 birds do not greatly abound ; one may walk about all day long 

 without finding a single example ; but during the migrations 

 birds are very common, and then there are flocks of a hundred 

 specimens and more. Gallinaceous birds are, as I shall say 

 further on, tolerably abundant on the suitable localities. Many 

 mountainous passes or other fit spots are covered with nets, 

 traps, and different kinds of devices, amongst them the best 

 known and productive being the " Roccolo," of which the most 

 famous in the Brembana Valley are the following : — Roccolo 

 '■'•' A foot equals •3048 of a meter, or 12 inches. 



