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 



chiffchaflF. 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 bjtii 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 grosbeaic* 



* The pine grosbeak (Pinioola enu- 

 cleator, Linn.) is a circumpolar bird 

 vi.siting 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 



