25 
Birds of the Upper Engadine. 
13,300 feet above the level of the sea. To the botanist the 
Maloja Hotel forms a base of operations where, even in August, 
the spring alpine flora may be worked without too much 
climbing, as it is situated almost at the limit of forest-growth. 
The commonest trees are small examples of the Siberian cedar 
(Pinus cemhra ), and the larch and spruce are small and 
stunted. On the other hand the rhododendrons are in all 
their splendour, especially in June and early in July. In 
August it requires a climb of from one to two thousand feet 
to reach the most characteristic alpine plants—the deep blue 
gentians on the grass, the rarer saxifrages on the rocks, and 
the beautiful purple toad-flax (.Linaria alpina) on the screes. 
Higher still the almost stalkless alpine forms of the cobalt- 
blue forget-me-not, the white stitchwort, and the prussian- 
blue rampion ( Phyteuma ) vie in beauty with the deep-red 
flowers of the alpine, campion, the pale-pink soldanella, and 
the grey edelweis. 
The agriculture of the Upper Engadine is extremely simple. 
The valley is meadow broken up with rock, and the moun¬ 
tain is rock interspersed with pasture. From the former two 
or three crops of hay are cut every season, and on the latter 
flocks of sheep and herds of cows and goats graze. On the 
approach of winter men, cattle, and hay migrate down the 
pass almost into Italy. 
The birds of this district are comparatively few, but 
amongst them are several of special interest to the British 
ornithologist. Amongst the pines the most interesting species 
are the Nutcracker ( Nucifraga caryocatactes) , the Crossbill 
(.Loxia curvirostra) , and the Mealy Bedpole ( Fringilla linaria ). 
On the meadows and pasture Alpine Pipits (. Anthus spino - 
letta) abound, and on the rocks Black Redstarts ( Ruticilla 
tithys) are common. Occasionally a Wall-creeper ( Ticho - 
droma muraria) may be seen in a narrow gorge, flitting like 
a butterfly on the face of the precipice, and still more rarely 
a passing glimpse of an Alpine Swift ( Cypselus melba) may 
be caught as it dashes past the crumbling granite or serpen¬ 
tine amidst the ice and snow of the higher peaks. Both the 
Common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucus ) and the Marsh- 
