SCARLET BULLFINCH. 5 



the island. That they also bred in the elder and meadow thorn 

 bushes near the house, and were pleasant-singing cage-birds. After 

 much seeking we found no more, but we discovered the Common 

 Linnet, for which they may probably have been mistaken by the decoy 

 man." 



"The Scarlet Bullfinch is very confiding towards man, being not at 

 all shy. The singing male remains in the open, like the Linnet, 

 upon the points or tips of bushes, and flies away like a shot when 

 disturbed. Its call is a clear, piping, high tone, similar to 'ticke, 

 ticke, tuk,' twice repeated in a clear and perceptible manner. When 

 a part of the song has been uttered, as far as my observation extends, 

 the whole tone is varied into a long cadence." 



"When with my friends Von Woldick and Boie I last approached 

 this celebrated decoy, at Sylt, I heard the song at a considerable 

 distance, and I drew their attention to it, that there might be no 

 mistake. The resemblance of the song to some of the notes of the 

 Reed Bunting, as well as those of the Linnet, is a remarkable fact. 

 Both these latter birds live in its neighbourhood. It is a very 

 agreeable, loud, long, and, with many slight pauses, unbroken song; 

 and it is so characteristic, that an ear like mine, which from earliest 

 youth has been accustomed to observe the song of birds, can dis- 

 tinguish it in the far distance. In a neighbourhood where little can 

 escape the eye, the beautifully-plumaged songster was easily recognised 

 and, as we did not like to shoot it, we placed ourselves at a short 

 distance, where, unseen, we were able to observe it for a considerable 

 time. It may be an agreeable cage-bird, but in confinement the red 

 jDlumage turns into a permanent yellowish green." 



Herr Meves, in his Journey in North Bussia, before alluded to, 

 remarks of this bird: — "I heard its joyful song first on my way to 

 Schliisselburg. The best notes may be described as something like 

 ' hvitt-tvy-tvoa,' 'hvitt-tvoa,' with other variations towards the close of 

 the song. I met with it also near Ladoga and Onega. I shot some 

 specimens which were on the upper parts a dark olive, with streaks 

 of grey in the older birds. In the breeding dress the grey shaft 

 spots were of a lighter colour. In June the red was dull, but in 

 August bright. The eggs, four in a nest, were of a bluish green, 

 with grey brown points, 2L5 by 15 millemetres; the least was 20 by 

 14 millemetres. In some others the ground-colour was decidedly leaden. 

 The egg from Moscow was more rounded, 19.5 by 15.5 millemetres; 

 and three from Dauria, June ITth., 1867, measured 19 by 13.5 mille- 

 metres: they were bluish grey ground-colour, with large dark brown 

 spots." The above is a good deal condensed in translation. 



