MIDDENDORFF'S GRASSHOPPER-WARBLER 343 



He writes: 



It is a kind of willow-warbler, common in Petropaulski, but not observed here 

 on the islands. My only specimen is a male, shot on the 5th of July, 1882. 

 * * * The loud song, consisting of the syllables vritshe-witshe-witshe-witsh, 

 and somewhat resembling the sound made by whetting a scythe, was heard, espe- 

 cially towards night, from all sides when walking through the high grass and 

 willows covering the swampy slopes of the mountains with a thicket almost im- 

 penetrable both to foot and eye. You would very seldom get a glimpse of the 

 watchful songster, when, clinging to the middle of the upright stalk of some high 

 orchid or grass, he did his best in the singing-match with one of his own kind or 

 a Calliope kamtschatkensis or a Carpodacus. But no sooner would you move your 

 gun to secure the longed-for specimen than he silently disappears, as completely 

 and suddenly as if he possessed Dr. Fortunatus's cap. The only way to obtain a 

 specimen is to watch patiently near one of his favorite bushes, with the gun ready. 

 For hours I have thus sat in the wet swamp, almost desperate from the bites of 

 the numberless bloodthirsty mosquitos, which I did not dare to wipe off, fearing 

 to drive away the silent bird, who perhaps was watching my immovable figure 

 until he was satisfied as to his safety. Curious, but still cautious, he would come 

 nearer, slipping between the stems and branches nearest to the ground, uttering 

 a very low, thrush-like tak; tak; tak; tak, and with the tail straight upright, very 

 much like a long-tailed Troglodytes both in color and conduct. And if I kept 

 absolutely quiet he sometimes would proceed close to my feet, looking curiously 

 at me with his pretty dark eyes. But before the challenge of a neighbor had at- 

 tracted his attention and provoked his reply, which he usually began with a short 

 trill, it would not have been advisable to move a muscle. 



Then comes the time to lift your gun very slowly, stopping as often as he sus- 

 piciously stops his song, until the "crack" puts an end to it forever, and you hold 

 in your hand a crushed specimen, unfit for preparation, when you have to shoot 

 from too short a distance, or return without anything, while, after a longer shot, 

 you cannot find the plain-looking little bird amidst the immense vegetation in the 

 dim light of the vanishing day and tortured by the intolerable mosquitos. You 

 will understand from your own rich experience how much pleasure it gave me when 

 I, at last, obtained a tolerably good specimen. 



Voice. — Bergman (1935) quotes Stejneger's rendering of the song, 

 and adds: "The single song is sung most frequently in the evening, 

 but during the day the bird often flies up in the air and sings while 

 descending. Sometimes it sings almost through the whole summer 

 night." 



Yamashina (1931) described the male of L. o. pleskei as flying up 

 to a height of about 2 meters and uttering a song rendered as 

 tschurrrr and after a time dropping down to the same place. Accord- 

 ing to Stejneger the song of L. o. ochotensis somewhat resembles that 

 made by whetting of a scythe and is rendered witshe-witshe-witshe- 

 witsh. He found that it was uttered especially toward night and 

 described the songster as clinging to the middle of an upright stalk of 

 some high grass or orchid (not performing a song flight as described 

 by Yamashina in the case of pleskei) , but ready to dive into cover at 

 the least disturbance. He describes the note as "a very low thrush- 



