MOUNTAIN ACCENTOR.

Accentor montanellus, Temm.

L’Accenteur montagnard.

Tue most singular circumstance connected with the history of this little bird is, that the specimen from which
our figure was taken is the only example we have ever seen, after having visited nearly all the continental
collections.

On the authority of M. Temminck we give as its habitat the eastern portions of the middle of Europe, and
the same latitudes in Asia. He adds that it was found by Pallas in eastern Siberia and in the Crimea, and
that it is somewhat common in the Neapolitan States, in Dalmatia, and in the middle of Hungary.

The specimen above alluded to forms a part of the fine collection of the Imperial Cabinet of Natural
History at Vienna, and was killed near the river Krems in Austria, by the late Rev. M. Kratki, curate of
Mausling, in the year 1790. Before we had an opportunity of examining this ‘ rara avis,” we were inclined to
believe it might be a variety of the common species (Accentor modularis), but we are now fully satisfied that
our suspicion was groundless, and we can safely add our testimony to its specific value: it is moreover a
typical example of the genus, and in affinity closely resembles the common Hedge Sparrow, from which it may
be readily distinguished by the conspicuous stripe of buff over the eye, and by the general tawny hue of its
under surface.

We cannot close our account of this interesting bird, without expressing our warmest thanks to the Directors
of the Imperial Cabinet of Vienna, who, solely for the promotion of science, have encountered the risk of for-
warding this valuable specimen from Vienna to London, for the purpose of enabling us to include a figure of
it in ‘‘ The Birds of Europe.”

Crown of the head, and a broad stripe commencing at the base of the bill and running towards the back
of the head deep brownish black ; over each eye a broad and conspicuous stripe of buff; back and scapularies
reddish ash with large longitudinal dashes of reddish brown ; wings brownish ash bordered with reddish, the
tips of the greater and lesser coverts yellowish, forming a double band across the wing ; tail brown; all the
under surface dull buff, varied on the breast by small dashes of brown, and on the flanks with longitudinal
spots of reddish ash ; bill yellow at the base and brown at the tip ; feet brownish yellow.

Our figure is of the natural size.