130 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



and its absence from Grindelwald. In fact, in the Alps, I have 

 always found it to be a bird of the lowest valleys, not seen, as a 

 rule, much above 2000 ft. ; perhaps higher in Southern Switzer- 

 land, but not in the Oberland. Probably it leaves even the 

 valleys in the winter, as the ground is generally snow-covered 

 and frost-bound ; and I did not see any Blackbirds at Interlaken 

 when passing through on my way to Grindelwald, though I 

 spent an afternoon there. This solitary individual at Grindel- 

 wald may have been an injured bird unable to migrate, and 

 attracted to this village, 3500 ft. above sea-level, by the prospect 

 of obtaining a livelihood in a populous winter resort, where 

 many fragments of food might be obtained near the hotels and 

 houses of the village. 



Golden-crested Wren (Regulus cristatus). — I watched a bird 

 of this species among the pines on the Faulhorn range, at a spot 

 nearly 4500 ft. above sea-level. The trees were laden with snow, 

 but this tiny bird was busy feeding, apparently finding plenty of 

 food on the under sides of the spruce branches, whose snowy 

 shroud formed a warm shelter. As I have seen this bird here 

 in summer, it is evidently resident, able to hold its own among 

 the thick pines against any rigours of the climate, and to obtain 

 sufficient food throughout the winter from the insects or their 

 larvae which hybernate among the spruce-fronds, or in crevices 

 of the bark. I may add that in the afternoons I frequently saw 

 small flies about sunny spots on slopes facing the south. 



Alpine Accentor (Accentor collaris). — I had abundant proof 

 that this bird is by no means driven from its usual haunts by the 

 rigours of winter, though it may to some extent draw near to 

 human habitations. I saw one on the summit of the Faulhorn, 

 nearly 9000 ft. above sea-level ; another at a chalet on the way 

 up, about 6500 ft., and several near chalets lower down ; but in 

 each case there were only solitary birds, and they were quite 

 silent. Perhaps such an exposed spot as the summit of the 

 Faulhorn would not have been frequented only for the fact that 

 the inn there is open during winter, so that scraps of food might 

 be picked up. The same may be said of some of the chalets 

 mentioned, as tourists make them halting-places, and leave 

 fragments of their meals about. The general colour and form of 

 this bird, together with its speckled throat, reminded me of a 



