116 MOUNTAIN ACCENTOR. 



Tins rare and interesting bird is an inhabitant of tlic 

 south-east of EiirojDe, being found principally in Siberia, 

 Russia, and the Crimea. It occurs, but accidentally, in 

 the south of Hungary, in the Neapolitan States, and 

 Dalmatia. Its range in Asia is along the same latitude 

 as in Europe. Mr. Tristram informs me that the only 

 specimen he ever saw was in the Museum at Palermo, 

 and he at the same time directed my attention to 

 i^vliddendorf's account of his capture of this bird. I 

 copy the following from his "Sibirische Eeise," vol. ii., 

 p. 1T2:— 



"One specimen only of this bird was shot in the 

 Stanowoj chain of mountains. It perfectly agrees Avith 

 Pallas's description and Gould's painting, and conse- 

 quently entirely removes the doubt which Brandt 

 expressed relating to the identity of the Siberian and 

 European Birds, as well as to that which received the 

 name of Acce?itor Temminckii. The specimen mentioned 

 by Brandt is in the winter plumage; therefore being in 

 a transition state, it is fainter in colour, and greyish. 

 The stripe over the eyes is Avhite;. the throat dirty 

 white; breast and belly bright rust yellow. On the 

 back of the bird the colours are an admixture of rust 

 brown and ash grey, which latter predominates, especially 

 about the head and nape. The spots have the same 

 colour as in the summer plumage, but in the latter 

 they extend more towards the wings. The Accentor, 

 Atro-gularis of Brandt, differs from A. montanellus 

 essentially in the black throat." 



The following is Temminck's description of this bird: 

 — "The adult male has a hood of deep black, covering 

 the head and occiput; a large equally black band 

 passes below the eyes, and covers the orifices of the 

 ears; a large yellow eyebrow takes its origin at the 



