156 sylviam:. 



near Stanz, in Switzerland ; in different parts of Italy ; and in the 

 royal garden at the palace of Eontainebleau, in France, where on 

 the 30th of August, a whole family of them appeared at once, and 

 their fine bright colours were in admirable keeping with the 

 lovely flowers around. When sailing in H. M. S. Beacon, from 

 Malta to the Morea, in April, 1841, a female bird of this species 

 flew on board on the 25th, when we were about 60 miles "from 

 Calabria, — the nearest land — and 135 from Mount Etna: on the 

 27th two other females alighted on the rigging and were captured; 

 we were then 45 miles from Zante (the nearest land), and 60 

 from the Morea. 



THE HEDGE-SPARROW. 



Hedge- Warbler or Accentor. 

 Dunnock. 



Accentor nodularis, Cuv. 

 Motacitta „ Linn. 



Is distributed over the island in suitable localities. 



A favourite haunt of this bird, so plain in plumage and unob- 

 trusive in its habits, is the base of thick white-thorn hedges, 

 where we are often amused on perceiving it thread its way, evi- 

 dently as happy and contented as if no obstacles were opposed 

 to its progress : we may often too, see it come quietly stealing out 

 of heaps of pea-rods piled up in the outskirts of the garden, 

 where its early nest (sometimes built in the first week of April,) 

 with the beautiful bluish-green eggs, so much prized by juvenile 

 depredators, will not unfrequently be found.* A nest which came 

 under my observation was formed exteriorly of grass and mosses 

 (Hypna) : and with the exception of a small tuft of hair, was lined 

 entirely with the latter, some of the graceful urn-shaped capsules of 

 which, rich-brown in hue, most picturesquely nodded over the four 

 beautiful bluish-green eggs. This bird is not confined to the country, 



* Since this was written, remarks on the species to the same effect, hut fuller and 

 better, have been published by Sir. Wm. Jardine, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 187. Mr. 

 Macgillivray too, gives an excellent account of its habits, vol. ii. p. 251 ; and it 

 is very agreeably treated of in the Journal of a Naturalist, p. 148. 



