THE FINCHES 139 



describes the call-note of the twite as " ycigagagcick" which, allowing for 

 the German valuation of these syllables yegegegeck, perhaps, for I do 

 not presume to speak positively makes some approach to the dit-it-it 

 (or thereabouts), preceded by a chuckle, of the linnet. It also utters a 

 single "jack " (yeck) and a "daii" (dar-ee) and, as an alarm-note, a " scheh- 

 sche-schei" the song being, mostly, a combination of all these elements. 

 According to Ussher, 1 the latter is a series of exclamations of which the 

 longest upbraids "lazy Jenny!", and with this Warren 2 concurs. Mac- 

 pherson, 3 however, in conjunction with Harvie-Brown, 4 presents us 

 with a more pleasing picture of the male, in summer, " rising singly, 

 on the wing, and, after describing a short circle, descending, spirally, 

 on expanded pinions" thus avoiding tautology: whilst R. Gray 5 

 speaks of its " encouraging chatter," "piping notes," "shrill, joyous 

 cry," and " strange music." Witchell, 6 however, allows the same bird 

 nothing but a frequently repeated "wheeze" as a call-note, and 

 describes the song as " but little more than repetitions of this ! " 



Naumann 7 was not impressed with the singing capacities of either 

 of our two redpolls, referring to them as " wenig wert " (worth little). 

 Forrest 8 makes amends to the lesser one by speaking of its " pleasing, 

 low, twittering song," uttered in chorus, at roosting-time, on a July 

 evening. The call-note is a rapid, rattling twitter " tschidt " according 

 to Xaumann uttered as the birds fly together, at a height above that 

 of other finches. 9 Witchell 10 says that the tones of the lesser redpoll 

 have an exaggerated resemblance to those of the greenfinch, and 

 refers to its " even coarser wheeze." Its call, also, would be a "tit-it-it" 

 (or dit-it-it) if it were not uttered at a lower pitch and in a less sharp 

 tone, by which it becomes a " twut-tut-tutt." u 



The mealy redpoll's call-note has been described as a " chizzzzz" and 

 its song (without any intention of insulting the bird) as either " zig-wig, 



1 Birds of Ireland. ! Ibid. 



3 Fauna of N.- W. Scotland. * Ibid. 



Birds of the West of Scotland. 6 Op. tit. 



7 Naturgeschichte der Vogel Mitteleur&pas, iii. * Fauna of N. Wales. 



Ibid. 10 Op. cit. 

 11 Witchell, op. cit. 



