CHAP. XI. 



PINE GROSBEAK. 



119 



a song. This bird was also perching in a spruce fir, but a 

 long shot brought it down. It proved to be the Siberian 

 chiffchaff. For days afterwards we heard several of these 

 birds singing, and, on further study of their note, we found 

 it very distinct from the one of the chiffchaff. That of our 

 bird is not badly represented by its name, with an equal 

 accent on both syllables. The note of the Siberian chiffchaff is 

 better represented by the word " chiv'it," with a decided accent 

 on the first syllable. It is seldom uttered singly, but generally 

 repeated " chiv-it, chiv-et," or oftener "chiv-it," followed by 

 two notes of its song. The bird seemed very partial to the spruce 

 fir, perching on its topmost bough. In comparing its habits and 

 those of the willow- warbler, we found the Siberian chiffchaff 

 easy to shoot, while the former was as wild as possible. 



Another song that greatly roused our curiosity was a 

 melodious whistle, reminding us both of the song of the 

 blackbird and of the redwing. We expected the songster 

 would turn out to be some rare Siberian thrush. The bird 

 was by no means shy, so we had no difficulty in following its 

 song, and in approaching within easy shot, as it perched 

 sometimes on the top, sometimes near the summit of a 

 spruce fir. Once we observed it hopping on the ground. 

 We obtained six specimens, and were somewhat disappointed 

 to find such melodious and thrush-like notes proceeded from 

 the pine grosbeak.* 



* The pine grosbeak (Pinicola enu- 

 cleator, Linn.) is a circumpolar bird 

 visiting the British Islands somewhat 

 irregularly during winter. It breeds 



in the high north of the pine region, 

 migrating southwards only in severe 

 weather, being a more or less accidental 

 visitor to most parts of Central and 



