ally Alpine Birds. One of these is the Alpine
Accentor (_Accentor collaris_), which on rare occasions visits England,
and Northern Europe generally. It is, however, by no means peculiar to
the European Alps; a variety of this species occurs in Central Asia,
Eastern Siberia, and Japan. The only other Accentor inhabiting our
continent is the Hedge Accentor (_A. modularis_), which is resident over
the greater part of it, and also in North Africa and the Mediterranean
Islands. It also extends its range across the AEgean Sea to Asia Minor,
so that really not a single Accentor is peculiar to Europe.

Both the European species are evidently old forms, and the genus, as
might be expected, is certainly Asiatic. No less than ten other species
of Accentor are known, all of which are confined to Central Asia and the
Himalayan Mountains, and are therefore all Holarctic. I may mention that
much difference of opinion still exists as to the true zoological
position of this anomalous genus. It has been located in several
different families by various ornithologists, but has not yet found a
permanent resting-place. Another bird generally considered to be
peculiar to Switzerland is the Alpine Chough (_Pyrrhocorax alpinus_),
but its range extends across Asia Minor to the Himalayas. Whether the
European Chough should not form a distinct genus is a matter of opinion.
Some of our leading ornithologists, like Dr. B. Sharpe, are inclined to
separate it from _Pyrrhocorax_; however, there is no doubt that it is
closely related to the Alpine Chough, whatever view we may take of the
generic distinctness. It inhabits principally Western and Southern
Europe, also North Africa; and its range extends eastward to the
Himalayas, China, and Eastern Siberia. If any doubt still existed as to
the Asiatic origin of the Choughs, it may be noted that the only two
other closely allied genera, viz., _Corcorax_ and _Podoces_, live in
Australia and Central Asia respectively.

There are two other birds to which I should like to refer. These are the
Rock Sparrow and the Alpine Snow Finch. The first of these (_Petronia
stulta_) is by no means peculiar to the Alps. It is the only species of
the genus inhabiting Europe; and besides the Alps it occurs in Southern
Europe generally, and ranges as far west as the Canaries and Madeira.
Eastward it is not found beyond Central Asia. Of the remaining five
species of _Petronia_, two occur in Asia (including India) and three in