20 How to Sex Cage Birds. 



It will, however, be apparent (from the above variations in length 

 and width in individuals of the same species) that there must have 

 been birds of the year in their first adult plumage, as well as 

 older birds, in the series which Mr Chubb compared ; it is this 

 apparent variation which practically prevents a cabinet-ornithologist 

 from seeing the value of such structural characters as we students 

 of living birds find most useful. Fortunately, there is no necessity 

 to worry much over the character of the bill in the adult Hedge 

 Accentor, because the sexes are easily recognisable by their plumage. 



The Hedge Accentor (Accentor modularis). 



The female has the smoky ash-colour of the head suffused with a 

 buffish tinge, and streaked with blackish-brown much more than in 

 the male • the flanks are also more distinctly streaked — in fact, the 

 hen is seen at a glance to be generally paler and browner, and with 

 less grey on the head than the cock. 



The Alpine Accentor (Accentor collaris). 



Of this handsome species, which is occasionally exhibited at bird 

 shows, the sexes are very similar, but the female is more dingy in 

 colouring than the male. Although a rare visitor to our islands, I 

 once caught a specimen in the young plumage, in which the white 

 of the throat was barely perceptible, and the feathering spotted with 

 rufous ; unhappily, I did not recognise the importance of my capture 

 until it was too late. This bird was exceptionally wild, and fairly 

 knocked itself to pieces, then contracted a disease which still further 

 disfigured it ; when it died the skin was not worth preserving. 



The Dippers (Cinclidce) can hardly be regarded as cage-birds, 

 being difficult to keep even in aviaries, so that they need not be 

 considered here. 



In order to avoid getting the classification of the groups too much 

 confused, it is necessary to continue here with the British forms. 



Chapter IV. 



TITS, WAGTAILS, FLYCATCHERS, SWALLOWS, ETC. 



The Titmice (Parince), with which the Bearded Eeedling has 

 been improperly associated, do not structurally show very marked 

 external sexual characteristics ; the cocks are, I should judge, 

 slightly larger than the hens, and have rather more powerful bills, 

 but the difference in the latter is not great ; it is possible that 

 better characters might be discovered in the expanded wing?, but 

 this will have to be decided by subsequent workers. 



