Vol i907 IV ] Clark, Characteristic Kamchatkan Birds. 279 



ows, keeping usually on or near the ground, and is very adept at 

 slinking away through the undergrowth when alarmed. The song 

 is usually given from some little elevation, as the top of a bush, or 

 the lower limbs of a small tree, but often from near the ground. 

 Very justly has this bird been called the "Kamchatkan Nightin- 

 gale." 



Next in importance as a songster, and much more often seen, 

 being in fact quite familiar about the town, is the Siberian House- 

 finch (Carpodacus erythrinus grebnitzkii) . In general habits and 

 song this bird resembles our common Purple Finch (Carpodacus 

 purpureus). This species frequents the hillsides, but keeps to 

 the more open places, the higher branches of the small trees, and 

 the tops of the bushes. It is vivacious and restless, never stopping 

 long in one place. 



The last of the really characteristic songsters occurring about 

 the outskirts of the town is the handsome Yellow-breasted Bunting 

 (Hypocentor aureolus) which is very common, but hardly equal 

 vocally to the two preceding. It is much like the preceding in 

 habits, but less active, and less familiar. An allied species (H. 

 rusticus) with a white breast is not uncommon, but I did not suc- 

 ceed in identifying its song. 



A near relative of the famous Skylark (Alauda arvensis blalci- 

 stoni) is common in the meadows, its fine song characterizing the 

 more level country behind Petropaulski. 



Although not a song bird in any sense of the term, but a bird 

 whose notes are characteristic of this region, as those of its repre- 

 sentative are of the western palrearctic region, the common Eastern 

 Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus telephonus) deserves special mention. 

 Its loud and clear cuck'-oo; cuck'-oo was heard at all times, and 

 the birds themselves were frequently seen about the hillsides or 

 clumps of bushes in the meadows. 



One of the most curious birds of this region is the Slate-colored 

 Bunting (Tisa variabilis). It inhabits the densest alder thickets 

 along the banks of the small streams, keeping on or near the ground, 

 its habits closely resembling those of our Juncos, and sparrows of 

 the genus Zonotrickia, to which genus it has been referred by some 

 authors; others have placed it in Hypocentor, Emberiza, Fringil- 

 laria; while one suggests that possibly it should be placed in Spizella, 

 with our Chipping and Field Sparrows. Recently, however, a 



