56 FASSEBES. 



The most interesting fact concerning them is that the Japanese 

 form resembles the European one in having the chestnut flank -feathers 

 edged with grey, and appears to be connected with it by intermediate 

 forms in South-east Mongolia. 



The habits of the Japanese Alpine Accentor resemble those of its- 

 European ally. It is described as flitting around on the rocks, 

 uttering a low soft chuckling note, and as being very tame. It has 

 been found both on Puji-yama and on Tate-yama (Jouy, Proc 

 United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 300). 



19. ACCENTOR RUBILUS, 



(JAPANESE HEDGE-SPARROW.) 



Accentor modnlaris rttbidus, Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Avesy 

 p. 69 (1847). 



The Japanese Hedge-Sparrow has an unstreaked brown throat an.d 

 breast. It is much more rufous than its British representative. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica,. Aves, pi. 32 

 (in very abraded plumage) ; Goiild, Birds of Asia, iv. pi. 42 (in newly 

 moulted plumage) . 



The Japanese Hedge-Sparrow is peculiar to Japan. There are 

 nine examples in the Pryer collection from the neighbourhood of 

 Yokohama ; and there are two examples in the British Museum col- 

 lected by Mr. "Whitely near Hakodadi in winter. It is therefore pro- 

 bable that this species is a resident in all the Japanese islands. The 

 examples figured in the ' Fauna Japonica ' without the broad chestnut 

 stripes on the flanks are probably birds in abraded plumage. 



This bird ascends Fuji-yama in summer as high as 8000 feet, 

 where it frequents the scrub willows, and has a sparrow-like chirping 

 note (Jouy, Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 300). Eggs in 

 the Pryer collection do not difier from those of its European ally. 



The nearest ally of the European Hedge-Sparrow {Accentor modu- 

 laris) and the Japanese Hedge-Sparrow {Accentor rubidus) is the 

 Maronne-backed Hedge-Sparrow {Accentor immaculatus) , a species 

 which ranges from Nepal, through the Eastern Himalayas to Eastern 

 Thibet and Setchuen in Western China. As is the case with several 

 other species of European and Japanese or Chinese birds, the Central 

 form appears to have changed more than the extreme Western and 

 Eastern forms, probably in consequence of a greater change of climate. 



