96 ALPINE ACCENTOR. 
owing toa chain of forms of questionable distinctness, leading to 
well-defined species in those highlands of Asia which form the 
head-quarters of the Old-World genus Accentor. 
The nest, built towards the end of May, is placed on the ground, 
among crevices of rocks, or under some small bush; it is round, 
compact, and somewhat shallow, the materials consisting of dry 
grass-stems, with a slight lining of fine moss, and sometimes a few 
feathers. The 4-5 eggs are of a pale blue, like those of the other 
members of the genus: measurements ‘95 in. by ‘68 in. In summer 
the bird is to be found up to the edge of the snow-line, and 
seldom below the altitude of 4,000 feet: while on the Tatra 
Mountains of Galizia, Count Wodzicki met with breeding colonies 
of from twenty to forty pairs ; an unusual gregariousness, though in 
autumn small flocks collect. In summer this species feeds on 
beetles and other insects, while in autumn it gets as fat as a 
Bunting on the seeds of Alpine plants; nor does it leave the 
mountains until snow covers the seeds, and forces it downwards 
to the villages and even to the coast. It creeps about in the same 
sly way as our Hedge-Sparrow does ; like that bird, it undoubtedly 
hops, and does not run, as some writers have asserted; nor does it 
duck its head and jerk up its tail every time it utters its note, after 
the manner of the Chats. Seebohm saw it at least fifty times 
without perceiving the habit alluded to, and the same is my own 
experience. He describes the song as a rich liquid chich, ich, ich, 
ich ; the call-note is a plaintive “7, fri, tz. 
The adult has the head, nape, and ear-coverts greyish-brown with 
darker streaks ; back rather browner, with broader streaks down the 
centre of each feather ; wing-coverts dark brown, tipped with white 
spots, which form a double bar; secondaries margined and tipped 
with rufous ; primaries dark brown ; tail dark brown, with buffish-white 
tips, which are larger on the inner webs and:almost absent on the 
central feathers ; chin and throat white, spotted with black ; breast 
and centre of abdomen greyish-brown ; flanks mottled with dark 
chestnut ; bill black above, yellowish at the base; legs and feet 
pinkish-yellow, in life. The sexes are alike in plumage. The young 
bird has the feathers of the back edged with rufous; there is no 
mottled white patch on the throat; and the under parts are of a 
very dusky yellowish-brown. Length 7 in. ; wing to the tip of the 
3rd and longest primary 4'1 in. ; the bastard primary is compara- 
tively small. 
