HEDGE-SPARROW 



[ORDER: Pdsseriformes. FAMILY: Accentorida] 

 PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 



[F. C. R. JOURDAIN. F. B. KIRKMAN. W. P. PYCRAFT. A. L. THOMSON] 



BRITISH HEDGE-SPARROW [Accentor moduldris occidentdlis 

 Hartert ; Prunella modularis occidentalis (Hart.). 1 Dunnock, dykie, hedge- 

 creeper, hedge-chanter, hedge-poke, hedge-batty, shufflewing, cuddy, etc. 

 French, mouchet ; German, Hecken-Braunelle ; Italian, passera scopajola.~\ 



1. Description. The hedge-sparrow is to be distinguished rather by the 

 general sombreness of its plumage, than by any distinctive marks, the head, neck 

 and fore-breast being of a brownish slate-colour, while the back is ochreous, with 

 broad striations of umber-brown. The sexes are alike, but the female is somewhat 

 duller. (PI. 57.) There is no seasonal change of coloration. Length, 5-5 in. 

 (140 mm.). The slate-grey head and nape are streaked with brown, and the ear- 

 coverts are brown, the ochreous ground-colour of the back has a rufous tinge ; the 

 rump is of a uniform olive-brown. The quills and tail are dusky brown, with pale 

 brown margins, narrow on the primaries, broad on the inner secondaries. The 

 major-coverts are marked like secondaries, each feather having a more or less 

 conspicuous buff white spot at the tip of the outer vane. The throat, neck, and 

 fore-breast are slate-grey, the flanks pale brown, striated with umber-brown. 

 The lower breast and abdomen are dull greyish white, and the under tail-coverts 

 greyish brown, with hoary fringes. The juvenile plumage resembles that of the 

 adult, but lacks the slate-grey on the head and under parts, and is generally browner 

 and more spotted, [w. p. p.] 



2. Distribution. Although this species is distributed over the greater part 

 of Europe, the British race is only known at present to be resident in the British 

 Isles. It may, however, possibly be found also to inhabit Normandy and Brittany 



1 Preferred to Accentor by Dr. E. Hartert, because the latter term was applied first to the 

 Dippei-s. ED. 



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