HEDGE ACCENTOR. 
19.9 
tlirougliout tlie temperate parts of Europe, retiring to the 
southern parts in winter. These birds are seldom seen but 
in pairs ; their chief haunts are low bushes, hedges, and 
underwood, orchards, plantations, kitchen gardens, &c. They 
keep themselves generally near the ground, and remain in 
the vicinity of their birthplace. 
The song of this species continues the whole year, with 
very little interval; in the breeding-season it is amplified by 
some additions, and in the depth of winter it is not discon¬ 
tinued ; but on a sunny day, from the covert of a low bush, 
its cheerful and pretty song may frequently be heard. 
In November, as soon as the leaves are fallen. Hedge 
Sparrows begin to be seen upon the ground in numbers, hop¬ 
ping about the borders in flower-gardens, in busy and un¬ 
remitting search for their minute food, twitching about, and 
turning over the scattered leaves. So quiet are they in the 
search, and so close do they keep themselves to the ground, 
to whose tints their plumage bears much resemblance, that 
the eye is often at fault to detect them. 
When caged, the Hedge Accentor still shows a decided 
partiality towards terrestrial habits, very commonly roosting 
upon the floor of its cage. When it sleeps its legs are much 
bent, and its body held in a horizontal position ; when awake 
also, its attitude is singularly different from that of most 
other small birds, and its manners remarkably quiet and re¬ 
tiring. The male and female, when caged together, show 
gi-eat attachment, constantly sitting and roosting side by side, 
and in winter pressing closely to one another. They also 
become much attached to companions, even of a different 
species. We possessed one, a fine male bird, and an ex¬ 
cellent singer, which was so much attached to its only com¬ 
panion, a male redbreast, that on the latter escaping by 
accident from the cage, the Hedge Sparrow became dull, 
neglected its food, and sat with ruffled feathers, and appeared 
