HEDGE ACCENTOR.

Accentor modularis, Cw.

L’Accenteur mouchet.

In every garden and in every hedgerow may this familiar but obscurely coloured bird be seen, not only
throughout the whole of Great Britain, but nearly the whole of Central Europe. Though strictly belonging to
the Sylvade, it is one of the few that make our island a permanent place of residence ; it is also one of the
hardiest of our small birds, and appears to brave the severest winters with indifference. It may be observed
when the ground is frozen, and even covered with snow, as lively and alert as at other times in search of its
food, which lies concealed on the surface of the earth, or among the dead leaves on banks, bottoms of hedge-
rows, &c. ; often, indeed, will it mingle with the common Sparrow and the Robin, entering the farmyard, and
approaching within the precincts of human habitation, and displaying great confidence and familiarity. Its ac-
tions and manners are strictly terrestrial, which is to be accounted for principally from the circumstance of its
food, being mostly obtained on the ground: it progresses by a succession of short hops, inquisitively prying
among the grass and leaves in search of insects, small worms, the seeds of plants, &c. During the spring the
male pours forth its song, which although not characterized by any great compass of scale, is nevertheless agree -
able, and is not entirely suspended during the winter months ; this fact is confirmed by Cuvier, who informs us
that it cheers that season with its pleasant song: we also learn from this celebrated naturalist, that although
a winter visitant in France, it retires northwards in spring to breed, which is certainly not the case in our own
island, as its nest and beautiful blue eggs are well known to every schoolboy. It is an early breeder, fre-
quently beginning to build in the month of March. The nest is usually placed in the thickest part of the hedge-
row, and very frequently among furze and evergreens; it is generally composed of moss and wool, inter-
mingled with fine roots and slender bits of twig, with a lining of hair: the eggs are four or five in number,
of a beautiful azure blue.

We have never seen this bird in any collection made out of Europe; and, in fact, so exclusively are the
species of the genus Accentor confined to this portion of the world, that we have never observed more than
a single example of any species in foreign collections ; this was a new one from the Himalaya mountains.

The plumage of the sexes is so strictly similar that it is almost impossible, without actual dissection, to
distinguish the male from the female; the former, however, has the breast of a more decided grey tint,
which feature is also more conspicuous during the spring.

The general colour of the whole upper surface is deep dusky brown, with blotches of a darker colour dis-
posed over the back ; earcoverts brown minutely dotted with white ; under surface greyish white with a few
dashes of brown on the flanks ; legs light brown ; bill blackish brown

The Plate represents a male and female of the natural size.