56 PASSERES. 



The most interesting fact concerning them is that the Japanese 

 form resembles the European one in having the chestnut flank-fcathcrs 

 edged with grey, and appears to be connected with it by intermediate 

 forms in South-east ]Mongolia. 



The habits of the Japanese Alpine Accentor resemble those of its 

 European ally. It is described as flitting around on the rocks, 

 uttering a low soft chuckling note, and as being very tame. It has 

 been found both on Fuji-yama and on Tate-yama (Jouy, Proc. 

 United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 300). 



19. ACCENTOR RUBIDUS. 

 (JAPANESE HEDGE-SPARROW.) 



Accentor modularis luhtdm, Temiuinck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, 

 p. 69 (1847). 



The Japanese Hedge-Sparrow has an unstreaked brown throat and 

 breast. It is much more rufous than its British representative. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 32 

 (in very abraded plumage) ; Gould, Birds of Asia, iv. pi. 42 (in newly 

 moulted plumage). 



The Japanese Iledgc-Sparrow is peculiar to Japan. There are 

 nine examples in the Fryer collection from the neighbourhood of 

 Yokohama ; and there are two examples in the British Museum col- 

 lected by Mr. Whitely near Hakodadi in Minter. It is therefore pro- 

 bable that this species is a resident in all the Japanese islands. The 

 examples figured in the ' Fauna Japonica ' without the broad chestnut 

 stripes on the flanks are probably birds in abraded plumage. 



This bird ascends Fuji-yama in summer as high as 8000 feet, 

 where it frequents the scrub willows, and has a sparrow-like chirping 

 note (Jouy, Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 300). Eggs in 

 the Prycr collection do not differ from those of its European ally. 



The nearest ally of the European Hedge-Sparrow {Accentor modu- 

 laris) and the Japanese Hedge-Sparrow {Accentor riibidus) is the 

 Maronne-backcd Hedgc-S])arrow {Accentor inimaculatus), a species 

 vhich ranges from Nepal, through the Eastern Himalayas to Eastern 

 Thibet and Setchuen in Western China. As is the case with several 

 other species of iMiropean and Japanese or Chinese birds, the Central 

 form appears to have changed more than the extreme Western and 

 Eastern forms, probably in consequence of a greater change of climate. 



