32 BinlH T ITuvr Kr,,!. 



and Ji bnivv wc; binlif; \i is, Vf;ry (iorifidin;^, lively, and merry 

 in winter time, thou;,'h iincomniorjly shy in Hiimmer. 



Not one of our wild birdu lays such an e^{^, Hueli a turquoise 

 gr;ni rather, the mueh coveted prize of that variety of the 

 ^enuH known as the country schoolboy. iJear me! what 

 dozens, scores, nay, hundr(;ds of them 1 liave taken in my 

 time, blown and strunf^ u[jon a j^iece of twine! all unknown 

 to my excellent mr^tlier, who always discountenanced bird- 

 newtin^; wisely as now I know, but very arbitrarily as I 

 tliou;4ht in tliose far away days. 



Tlie len;^th of tlie Iled;;e Accentor is five inclies and a 

 lialf, of whicli th(; tail measures ratlier more than two. Thr; 

 head, wliich is Hom(jwhat narrow, is, to^^ether with tlie neck, 

 of a dark asli colour, mark(jd with v(;ry dark brown npots; 

 the bnjast is a deej) slate colour. 



The female is li;,diter, and has more brown Hpots on the 

 head than h(;r mate; but it nevertheless takes Homo acquaint- 

 ance with these birds to readily distinguish the Hoxes from 

 each other. 



This bird in found in all parts of I']ij)-opf;, frequenting every 

 hedgerow and copse, and even large gardens in the Hubur)>s 

 of Jiondon: it forms a link ]jetwe(;n insect and Bced-c.-ating 

 birds, and jjartakes Indiseriminately of either food, m that it 

 can be v(;ry readily kept in the house; where, however, unless 

 very tame, it has a mouse-like habit of hiding itself away 

 in holes and corners. 



The J [edge Accentor makes a briautiful nest of moss and 

 roots lined with wool and hair, usually scdecting a thick 

 (juickset hedge to build in, or a bushy shrub, such as an 

 arhor vilrr;, or a clump of \)<)X. The nest is never far from 

 the gcoiiiid, and usually contains Uum lour to six eggs of a 

 beautiful turq!iois(j blu«5. The young leave the nest early, 

 often before they can fly: theni are two or three broods in 

 the year. The Hedge Accentor is monj usually selecUid as a 

 foster-j)ar(;nt for its young than any other bird by the Cuckoo. 



