BIRDS OBSERVED AT GRINDELWALD. 131 



diminutive Thrush. In many of its actions it also resembled 

 the Chats. 



Dipper (Cinclus aquaticus). — Quite common on the Liitschine, 

 the stream which flows in the bottom of the valley, and which 

 seems to be the only stream which never freezes. In winter 

 this torrent is low and clear, very different from the grey and 

 noisy flood in summer, when it is swollen by the melting of the 

 glaciers. The Dipper has no difficulty in getting food even in 

 the sharpest frosts. It was in full song on Jan. 20th, and on 

 many other occasions, too, I heard its cheery twittering notes 

 from the river-bed. 



Great Titmouse (Parus major). — Very common. The in- 

 habitants are very kind to the birds, and feed them regularly. 

 A favourite method is to hang out an inverted bottle, corked, and 

 with a piece cut out of the side of the neck. This is filled with 

 hemp-seed or chopped suet, and according as the food next the 

 hole is eaten a fresh supply comes down from above. The chief 

 beneficiaries are the Tits, and of these the Great Tit is far the 

 most numerous. Marsh-Tits are also common, but there is 

 only an occasional Blue Tit. I did not see the Coal-Tit. 



Marsh-Titmouse (P. borealis). — The Marsh-Tit was a com- 

 mon bird, and those which I observed were in every case of this 

 form. They were large dark grey birds, with long tail and large 

 jetty-black cap ; indeed, when sharing with the Great Tits in the 

 food put out for the birds, they did not look very much smaller 

 than their congeners. 



Blue Titmouse (P. cceruleus). — Not numerous compared with 

 the last two species. I several times noticed solitary individuals 

 coming to the food supply. 



Long-tailed Titmouse (Acredula rosea). — I frequently heard 

 or saw this bird, generally near the alders fringing the unfrozen 

 river in the bottom of the valley. Those which I saw were the 

 British form, with black band on each side of the head. I have, 

 however, seen the white-headed form at Grindelwald in the 

 summer, and both may possibly be resident. 



Nuthatch {Sitta ccesia). — Common and tame. I frequently 

 saw it in the neighbourhood of houses, or clinging under the 

 wooden eaves, where it shares the food supplied for the birds. 



Alpine Pipit (Anthus sjripoletta) . — I did not see this bird in 

 the Grindelwald Valley, and only mention it because I saw a 



