114 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



might say, at the gate of the Engadine. The Hotel Via Mala, where 

 we stayed, is delightfully situated just above the confluence of the 

 Hinter Rhein, the Albula, and the Nolla, at a height of 2500 ft. above 

 sea-level, and is about eighteen miles from Chur or Coire, the capital 

 of the Grisons. It is surrounded by mountains, the highest of which 

 is Piz Beverin, 10,000 ft. The scenery all round is of an enchanting 

 nature, and until lately the hotels were crowded with tourists in 

 summer ; the number has, however, diminished since the Albula 

 Eailway to St. Moritz (thirty-eight miles) was opened, as many 

 travellers prefer not to break the journey. 



June 30th. — Arrived, and found many birds singing in the grounds 

 of the hotel. In addition to our usual English songsters, I noted the 

 Serin Finch and Black Redstart. 



July 2nd. — Birds plentiful, but Crested Tit the only notable. 



3rd. — Heard Syrnium aluco near Sils at 8.15 p.m. 



4th. — Bonelli's "Warbler very numerous ; familiarized myself with 

 its call-note. 



6th. — Marsh- Warbler singing delightfully near the Albula. Cuckoos 

 and Siskins also singing. 



7th. — Beautiful morning. Charming bird-concert in the grounds — 

 Garden-Warblers, Blackcaps, Blackbirds, Redstarts, Serins, and many 

 more. 



9th. — Whinchats near Canova ; heard also Picus canus for the first 

 time here. We often heard this bird at Schinznach and Strassburg 

 last year. 



10th. — Excursion to Bellagio via Spliigen Pass. We occupied the 

 banquette in the diligence which started from Thusis at 6.35 a.m., 

 and passed through the Schamzerthal — " Schone Wiesen, W alder, 

 Weisen." The only birds noted on the Pass — 7056 ft. — were Alpine 

 Choughs and Meadow-Pipits, though the Bernhardin close by was 

 formerly called "Mons Avium" or " Vogelberg" — so many migrants 

 passed by every year. We reached Chiavenna — " Schliissel der Alpen- 

 welt " — at 4.30 p.m., by those wonderful "zig-zags," and then went 

 on by train and boat to our destination at Bellagio, on Lake Como, 

 where we arrived at 9.10 p.m., after a memorable and delightful day. 



11th. — Nightingales in full song close to our hotel, 'La Grande 

 Bretagne,' and also near the Villa Serbelloni. A few Italian Sparrows 

 also about, and the Black Kite, as usual, coursing over the lake. 

 Bellagio is certainly a paradise, and if birds would sing anywhere, one 

 would not wonder at them singing there, even though the time of the 

 singing of Nightingales was past and over. 



