HEDGE CHANTER. 253 



with a central paler streak ; the throat, neck, and fore part of 

 the breast, are light purplish-grey ; the sides and tibiae pale 

 brown, the central part of each feather darker ; the abdomen 

 greyish-white ; the lower tail-coverts brown, with greyish 

 edges ; the lower wing-coverts light grey, tinged with brown. 

 The concealed part of the plumage is bluish-grey. 



Length to end of tail 61 inches ; extent of wrings 8| ; bill 

 along the ridge j%, along the edge of lower mandible j\ ; 

 wing from flexure 2{§ ; tail 2| ; tarsus 10^ twelfths; first 

 toe 4^ twelfths, its claw 4i twelfths ; second toe 4i twelfths, 

 its claw If twelfths; third toe 7| twelfths, its claw /^ ; 

 fourth toe 4i twelfths, its claw If twelfths. 



Female. — The female resembles the male so closely that the 

 sexes can scarcely be distinguished by any external characters. 

 The grey of the neck and breast is duller and tinged with brown, 

 and the rump is more olivaceous. 



Length to end of tail 6 inches ; extent of wings 8i ; bill 

 along the ridge /^ ; wing from flexure 2-{^ ; tail 2j% ; tarsus 

 \%^ ; hind toe ^^, its claw j% ; middle toe {-r,, its claw ^^. 



Variations. — Accidental variations are extremely rare, but 

 albinoes are sometimes met with. As the summer advances 

 the colours become fainter, and the reddish-brow^n edges of the 

 feathers narrower ; the grey of the lower parts assumes a paler 

 tint ; but in general the difference between the winter and 

 summer plumage is not remarkable. 



Habits. — The history of the " Hedge Accentor" has been 

 penned by many sages, and cut into almost all possible sizes, 

 from four lines to as many paragraphs, and half as many pages ; 

 but we need not refer to books, for nothing is more easy than to 

 take our sketch from nature. Come here, station yourself at the 

 window, and observe the little brownish-grey birds that are 

 movincr about under the shade of that Laurocerasus. What 

 can they be looking for there, in the middle of winter, when 

 surely very few insects are to be found? Yet they shuffle along, 

 with short steps, with a half-hopping and half- walking move- 



