CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 451 
Along the entire west and northwest coast of America from 
Vancouver island north to within the Arctic circle, this bird occurs 
in greater or less abundance. The only breaks in this range are 
the treeless areas which occur along the the coast of Behring sea. 
Throughout the interior of the above region it is an abundant 
species. (Nelson.) This species is a resident of the interior and 
wooded districts of the entire territory of Alaska. (Twurner.) 
Sheep creek and Homer, Kenai peninsula, Alaska; at these places 
nine specimens were taken in July and September, 1901. The 
patches of cottonwood were the favourite haunts of this bird. They 
were never found in spruce timber except while perched upon the 
topmost branch of a dead tree, where they remained but for a few 
minutes. During heavy rain storms they repair to the lower under- 
brush and even the low grass. (Figgins.) 
BREEDING NoTEes.—The Alaskan pine grosbeak proved to be a 
common resident throughout the year in wooded tracts from the 
delta through the Kowak valley. My first acquaintance with this 
species was made on the 25th August, 1898, when two adults and 
two full-grown young were observed. They were silent save for 
a low, mellow call-note, and were feeding on the green alder seed- 
pods. I secured the two adults, which were in moulting plumage. 
In September and October pine grosbeaks were quite numerous, 
being often met with in companies of six to a dozen, immatures 
and adults together. They were usually among the scattering 
birch and spruce which line the low ridges. There, until the snow 
covered the ground, they fed on blueberries, rose-apples and 
cranberries. During the winter their food was much the .same as 
that of the redpolls—seeds and buds of birch, alder and willow, and 
sometimes tender spruce needles. In the severest winter weather 
they were not often in the spruce, but had then retired into the 
willow beds. The usual note is a clear whistle of three syllables. 
The native name Ki-u-tak represents it. Then there was a low, 
mellow, one-syllabled note uttered among members of a flock 
when alarmed. Twice I noted solitary males, when flying across 
the woods, singing a loud, rollicking warble, much like a purple 
finch. One morning, the 18th February, found me across the 
river skirting the willows in search of ptarmigan. Although it 
was 50 degrees below zero, a pine grosbeak, from the depths of a 
nearby thicket, suddenly burst forth in a rich melodious strain, 
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