168 On the Ornithology of Wilts \&ifoiadee\. 



visitants; but some of these species bear such a close resemblance to 1 

 one another, and are so extremely difficult to distinguish from one 

 another, that they will defy any but the most accurate and pains- 

 taking observer to discover their personal identity. Their principal 

 characteristics are elegance and gracefulness of form, a delicate 

 structure and slenderness of bill, and a sweetness and richness of 

 note; and though some may be disposed to cavil at the statement, 

 I am inclined to the opinion that in a greater or lesser degree all the 

 species composing this family partake of these three characteristics. 



"Alpine Accentor" (Accentor alpinus.) I confess I have no right 

 to head the warblers of Wiltshire with this rare visitant to our is- 

 land, as I have no instance before me of its undoubted occurrence 

 in this county ; still from the facts, that one of the three instances 

 of its occurrence given by Yarrell, was in the adjoining county of 

 Somerset, from the garden of the Deanery at Wells ; that the 

 specimen in Mr. Marsh's collection was said to have been killed 

 near Bath ; and that the opinion of that keen and accurate observer 

 coincides with my own, that these birds are probably much more 

 common than is generally supposed, their shy retiring habits and 

 sombre plumage never making them conspicuous; from these pre- 

 mises I venture to conclude that the "Alpine accentor" probably 

 visits us occasionally, and I therefore give it a place in our Fauna. 

 In colour it is reddish brown, but the chief distinguishing features 

 which mark it at once from its congener, the common "Hedge ac- 

 centor," are its greater size and the dull-white throat, thickly spot- 

 ted with black. It is not uncommon on the Continent, and is 

 described as courageous and confiding, and frequenting rocks and 

 stones in preference to bushes. 



"Hedge Accentor." (Accentor modtilaris) well known to every 

 one as the hedge sparrow, though the name is most unfortunate, 

 causing it to be confused in the minds of many with the house 

 sparrow, with which it has not the smallest affinity, the latter be- 

 ing bold, hard billed, and grain loving, while the hedge accentor 

 or hedge warbler is meek, soft billed, and insect eating. Unlike 

 most of this family, the hedge warbler remains with us throughout 

 the winter, and loves to creep about the bottoms of hedges and 



