48 THE SCARLET ROSE-FINCH. 



Tu-whit! tu-tu-i! It does not require a great 

 stretch of imagination to fancy that the bird says, 

 ' I'm pleased to see you ; ' the ' see ' being 

 strongly accented and slightly prolonged. This 

 song is never varied, but is sometimes repeated 

 twice in rapid succession. When it is heard, the 

 bird may usually be seen perched conspicuously 

 on the top of a bush or low tree. The marshy 

 forest banks of the great Siberian rivers are a 

 very favourite resort of this bird; and in the 

 Baltic Provinces, where it is common, and in the 

 valley of the Upper Volga, it is described as 

 frequenting willows and other low trees in marshy 

 districts. 



"The food of this bird consists of seeds of 

 various kinds, grain, and the buds of trees. In 

 spring it eats insects, and in autumn berries and 

 other fruit. 



"The nest of the Scarlet Rose-Finch is built in 

 the fork of a small bush, or amongst climbing 

 plants, not far from the ground. It bears little 

 resemblance to the nest of a Finch, and might 

 easily be mistaken for that of a Warbler. It is 

 composed of dry grass-stalks, and lined with 

 horse-hair. It is rather deep, and very neatly 



