340 THE HEDGE SPARROW. 



localities here as well as in Norfolk, Suffolk, Huntingdon, 

 Cambridge, and Lincoln, for it is a native, and frequents marshy 

 districts near the sea, rivers, and lochs. Although classed 

 amongst the tits, it might with equal propriety be classed 

 amongst the finches in the Deglubitwes, for in autumn and 

 winter it lives chiefly on the seeds of the reeds, and has a crop 

 about the size of a hazel nut, while none of the tits nor any of 

 the Cantatores have one — living chiefly on insects and larva?. 

 Some authors call it the bearded pinnock, from having this 

 dilation of the oesophagus peculiar to the huskers. Be that as 

 it may, I retain it amongst the tits as I have the long-tailed 

 tit, from its activity and general resemblance in habits. Like 

 the long-tailed tit it cannot be mistaken for any other bird, 

 for its tail is as long ; so if you see a handsome long-tailed 

 bird, with black moustachios, flitting amongst reeds, you will 

 know it as the bearded tit. It has a sweet, low, musical song, 

 like the tinkling of tiny cymbals, which harmonises with its 

 elegant form and plumage. Its general colour is light red ; head 

 and neck, bluish-grey ; throat, greyish-white ; the fore neck is 

 pale grey, passing into light red on the under parts ; bill, 

 orange-yellow ; iris, bright gamboge-yellow. On each side of 

 the base of the bill is a black mystical band of long hair-like, 

 feathers — hence its name. It is 6 J inches long by 7% in extent 

 of wings — the same proportion as the long-tailed tit. Female 

 similar, but not so bright, and wants the mystacial feathers. 

 The next genus in this sub-family of the Sylviana is that of 

 Accentor, of which we have two species, the hedge-accentor and 

 the alpine-accentor. 



The Hedge Sparrow or Hedge Warbler. 

 (Motacilla Modularis.) Linn. (Accentor Mothdaris.) Cuv. 



" Behold within the leafy shade 



Those bright blue eggs together laid ! 



On me the chance-discovered sight 



Gleamed like a vision of delight." — Wordsworth. 



None of our little birds are better known or worse used than 

 this gentle, unobtrusive bird, the bright blue eggs of which are 



