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BIRDS OBSERVED AT GRINDELWALD IN JANUARY. 

 By the Rev. A. Ellison, M.A., M.B.O.U. 



Ornithologists who are familiar with any part of Switzerland 

 in the summer, and have observed the abundance of bird-life at 

 that season, will probably find it interesting to compare the 

 state of things which exists in the same regions at mid-winter. 



I have therefore thought it worth while recording the few 

 observations which I made during a very short visit to Grindel- 

 wald in January last. As I was only there for ten days 

 altogether, there were no doubt some species of birds which 

 escaped my notice, but those which were observed were perhaps 

 specially interesting as showing what species are capable of 

 passing the winter in such a region, where the ground for several 

 months in succession is deeply covered with snow. Except 

 perhaps that the snow averages a couple of feet in depth, and 

 that frost is almost continuous, the climate, however, can hardly 

 be described as rigorous ; for the weather is generally fine and 

 calm, often with blue skies, and a bright sunshine so warm that 

 on sheltered slopes exposed to the sun's rays it is quite enjoyable, 

 in the middle of the day, to sit in the open air. 



But the mere fact that the ground is everywhere deeply 

 snow-covered makes it impossible for any birds to exist which 

 depend upon food obtained from the surface of the earth. The 

 few species to be seen were in most cases such as obtain their 

 food upon the trees, or whose boldness enables them to pick 

 up a subsistence in the immediate neighbourhood of human 

 dwellings. The number of species actually observed did not 

 exceed twenty. 



Blackbird (Turdus rnerula). — I several times saw a solitary 

 female close to the houses and hotel gardens in Grindelwald 

 village, evidently the same individual. It surprised me very 

 much to meet with this bird, as the Blackbird is not found at 

 Grindelwald in summer, though it is common at Interlaken. In 

 two different summers I have noted its abundance at Interlaken 



