76 THE ALPINE ACCENTOR. 



It is almost wholly a ground or bush bird, being seldom observed 

 in trees, except during the breeding season, when any one is near its 

 nest. The hedge is, likewise, one of its favourite haunts, and the 

 interstices of the thickest of these it threads with ease and agility in 

 quest of its food. Its flight is low, and never long protracted ; and in 

 flying from bush to bush a loose shuffle of the wings and tail is fre- 

 quently observed, and especially in summer ; whence the expressive 

 popular name, ' Shuffle-wing/ by which the bird is known in many 

 parts of the country. Whilst singing, also, the same kind of quiver- 

 ing motion of the wings and tail is employed, as well as in darting on 

 a worm or caterpillar on the ground, in hopping along which it has 

 likewise a peculiar habit of flirting up its tail, and turning quickly 

 from side to side. All its habits are, in fact, simple and unaffected, 

 insomuch, that it either passes wholly unobserved by the ordinary 

 observer, or is mistaken for the House Sparrow. 



THE ALPINE ACCENTOR. 



THE ALPINE CHANTER (Accentor Alpinus). This is a rare 

 visitant, about which we need say but little. It resembles 

 the Hedge Sparrow in its shape and general appearance, but 

 is somewhat larger, generally measuring about seven inches 

 in length: it is, too, somewhat differently coloured, and more 

 definitely marked, having a white throat, with triangular 

 black spots, and wing coverts barred with white ; the greater 

 part of the body is light brownish grey, the back having 

 dusky spots, and the sides a reddish tint. Bechstein says that 



