The Hedge Accentor. 31 



to feed tlieir young, and are caught in the snare. As soon 

 as they are taken, they must all be brought into the house, 

 where the old and young must be put together in any aviary, 

 or large cage, till the latter can fly: the window may then 

 be opened for them to go out, but hunger will soon bring 

 them back. As soon as they have exercised their wings, the 

 old birds should be placed on the table in the window to 

 call them back. In time, they become so familiar that they 

 will accompany one in a walk, and there is no fear of their 

 flying away. If they are not taken thus, it is necessary to 

 wait for winter and snow to let them go out, and if they 

 profit by the permission, to call them back by some of their 

 own species placed in a cage in the window. If you wish 

 to be quite sure of success, you have only to put a board 

 in the window, on which two females, with their wings cut, 

 can run about, go out, and return." 



The above directions are plain and simple enough; but what 

 the tit on the top of the cage is supposed to do, is a mystery 

 I am unable to solve. 



Greenfinches are seldom troubled with disease of any kind, 

 and with the commonest attention will live for ten or fifteen 

 years in the house. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE HEDGE ACCENTOR, OR SPARROW. 



THIS familiar bird, almost as well known as the Uobin 

 Eedbreast, is also called the Dunnock, and used to be a 

 great favourite of mine when I was a schoolboy: its scien- 

 tific name is Accentor modularis, I quite forget what we used 

 to call it in Brittany, but its name according to Bufl'on is la 

 Fauvette d''iriver, or Traine Buisson, while the Germans call 

 it der Braimelle, which sounds uncommonly like broad Scotch : 



