630 



Crca^ury of 



under parts dirty white. Just above the 

 greater coverts there is a row of black feathers 

 edged with white ; the lower part of the back 

 is of an olive-brown hue ; the tail is reddish- 

 brown, and even at the end ; legs pale yellow. 

 This species, though plentiful on the con- 

 tinent, and even in some of our southern and 

 eastern counties, is seldom seen in the north 

 of England. It differs from the House- 

 Sparrow in making its nest in the holes of 

 trees far from towns or villages. It feeds on 

 fruits, seeds, and insects. It is a lively, 

 active bird, and, when it alights, has a va- 

 riety of motions, whirling about, and jerking 

 its tail upwards and downwards, like the 

 Wagtail. 



The WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. (Frin- 

 gilla albicollis.) Of all the Sparrows known 



tinues till the melody of the returning spring 

 drowns its voice. 



The Hedge-Sparrow appears to be a prime 

 favourite with the entertaining author of 

 the ' Journal of a Naturalist,' who thus 

 speaks of it. " Not influenced by season or 

 caprice to desert us, it lives in our home- 

 steads and our orchards through all the year, 

 our most domestic bird. It is nearly the 

 first bird that forms a nest ; and this being 

 placed in an almost leafless hedge, with little 

 art displayed in its concealment, generally 

 becomes the booty of every prying boy ; and 

 the blue eggs of the Hedge-Sparrow are al- 

 ways found in such numbers on his string, 

 that it is surprising how any of the race are 

 remaining, especially when we consider the 

 many casualties to which the old birds arc 



K North America Wil on sa^y this ^ccie | obnoxious from their tamencss, and the 



; *i, !,.<,(. o ,n = *!, t-T-j-! _ t young that are hatched from their situation. 



The plumage of this motacilla is remarkahly 



the largest as well as the handsomest. 

 From Connecticut to Savannah he found 

 these birds numerous, particularly in the 

 neighbourhood of the Roanoke river, and 

 among the rice plantations. In summer they 

 retire to the higher inland parts of the 

 country, and also farther north, to breed ; 

 but during their residence in the above-men- 

 tioned localities, they collect together in 

 flocks, always preferring the borders of 



sober and grave, and all its actions 



and conformable to its 



lipearauce. 



ire quiet 

 Its son; 



is short, sweet, and gentle. Sometimes it is 

 prolonged, but generally the bird perches on 

 the summit of some bush, utters its brief 

 modulation, and seeks retirement again. Its 

 chief habitation is some hedge in the rick- 

 yard, some cottage-garden, or near society 

 with man. Unobtrusive, it does not enter 



S^wi^Ser'bSes^ndSTank I our d Iin 8- like the Redbreast, but picks 

 weeds, the """ 1 nf ^^^ *- ^o- *-- minute insects from the edges of drains and 



cipal food. The length of the White-throated 

 Sparrow is six inches and a half, breadth 

 nine inches ; the upper part of the back and 

 the lesser wing-coverts are beautifully va- 

 riegated with black, bay, ash, and light 

 brown ; a stripe of white passes from the 

 base of the upper mandible to the hind head ; 

 this is bordered on each side with a stripe of 

 black ; below this again is another of white 

 passing over each eye, and deepening into 

 orange yellow between that and the nostril ; 

 this is again bordered by a stripe of black 

 proceeding from the hind part of the eye ; 

 breast, ash ; chin, belly, and vent, white ) 

 tail, somewhat wedged : legs, flesh-coloured ; 

 bill, a bluish horn colour ; eye, hazel. All 

 the parts that are white in the male are in 

 the female of a light drab colour. 



The HEDGE-SPARROW (Accentor modu- 

 laris) is about the size of the Redbreast, and 

 belongs to the family Sytviadce. The beak 

 is black, and rather long and slender ; the 

 head is of a deep brown hue, mixed with 

 ash-colour ; and the cheeks are marked with 

 oblong spots of dirty white: the back and 

 coverts of the wings are dusky, edged with 

 reddish-brown ; the quill-feathers and the 

 tail are also dusky ; the rump brown, tinged 

 with green ; the throat and breast are of a 



dull ash 



en ; te 

 -colour ; 



the sides, thighs, and vent 



feathers, pale tawny brown ; and the legs 

 are of a dull flesh-colour. This bird fre- 

 quents low hedges, particularly those of 



poorest dwelling in the village. As an ex- 

 ample of a household or domestic bird, none 

 can be found with better pretensions to such 

 a character than the Hedge-Sparrow." 



The REED-SPARROW. [See BUNTING, 

 REED.] 



The SOLITARY SPARROW. (" Passer solita- 

 ritts." ) This beautiful bird, which seems to be 

 a species of Thrush, may be described here. 

 It is a native of the southern parts of Europe. 

 In shape it resembles the blackbird, but is 

 rather smaller : the bill is straight, and of a 

 dusky brown colour, the upper mandible 

 bending a little downwards at the point ; the 

 eyes dark hazel, and the eyelids yellowish. 

 The entire plumage, except the quills and 

 tail, is blue, darker on the back and lighter 

 on the breast ; the feathers on the breast and 

 abdomen being transversely barred with a 

 lighter colour : the quills and tail-feathers 

 are of a dusky brown hue, except that there 

 is a small portion of blue on their exterior 

 webs. The legs, feet, and claws are black. 

 It feeds on insects, grapes, and other fruit. 



The following ple 



ing 

 ird 



Tapes, and other fruit. 



asing observations rela- 

 tive to this bird are given by Mr. Waterton 

 in his Essays. " Would my readers," says 

 he, " lend a patient ear for a short time, they 

 shall have both the history and the true 

 name of this bird placed in a proper light. 

 The royal psalmist, whilst bending down in 



gardens ; making its nest in some small penitential prayer before his offended Maker, 

 bush, where it Jays four or five pale blue j exclaims, ' I have watched, and am become 

 eggs ; and, during the season of incubation, 

 it has a remarkable flirt with its wings. The 

 male utters a short, but very sweet plaintive 

 lote, which it begins about the commence- 



as a Sparrow all alone upon the house-top.' : 

 I have often wondered what bird this could ' 

 be ; knowing, by daily experience, that it 



could not actu 



by dail 

 ally be 



the house-sparrow ; 



ment of the first frosty mornings, and con- j for the house-sparrow is not solitary in its 



