246 



HEDGE CHANTER. 



CAngl.) p. 215.— Albia, 3. t. 59.— Lath. Syn. 4. p. 419. 9 Moat. Orn. Diet— 



Lewia's Br. Birds, 3. t. 102.— Putt. Cat. Dorset, p. 9 Wale. Syn. 2. t. 232 



The Winter Fauvette, Bewick's Br. Birds, l.p. 213 Selby, p. 43.* fig. 4. p. 205. 



Provincial. — Dunnock. Dick-Dunnock. Titling-. Foolish Sparrow.* 



This well known species, commonly called Hedge Sparrow, needs 



little description. The length is five inches and three quarters ; weight 



near six drams. Bill dusky ; irides light hazel ; head and neck brown, 



mixed with ash-colour ; back and wing coverts darker brown, edged 



with rufous brown ; throat and breast dull ash-colour; belly dirty white ; 



sides and vent tawny brown. The female has less ash-colour about the 



head and breast. 



The Hedge Sparrow is found in all parts of England ; has a pleasing- 

 song, which it begins with the new year, if the weather is mild ; breeds 

 early, making a nest in March, composed of green moss and wool, and 

 lined with hair, which is placed in some low evergreen shrub, thick 

 brush, or cut hedge ; frequently builds in faggot piles. The eggs are 

 four or five in number, blue ; their weight about twenty-eight grains. 



This bird is one of the few of the warbler tribe that remains with us 

 the whole year. The food is insects and worms ; but, like the redbreast, 

 it will, in defect of these, pick up crumbs of bread; and seems to prefer 

 situations near the habitation of man. 



The cuckoo frequently makes choice of this bird's nest for the pur- 

 pose of depositing its egg. Is said to be migratory in France, leaving 

 that country in spring, a very few excepted. 



*The nest is usually built rather loose, of green moss, {Hypna^ &c.,) 

 upon a foundation of a few dry twigs or roots : the hair-work within is 

 sometimes of considerable thickness, though most usually so thin as 

 not to cover the moss ; but in both cases the hairs are collected and 

 interwoven into the structure singly, and always bent carefully, so as 

 to lie smooth in the circular cut of the nest. It may be remarked, also, 

 that none of the ends are projecting, but uniformly pushed in amongst 

 the moss of the exterior. Whether the bird uses any salivary gluten as a 

 cement to retain the hairs in their proper places, I have not succeeded 

 in distinctly ascertaining ; though I think it highly probable if this is 

 not done, that the hairs are moistened to make them wind, since other- 

 wise it would not be easy to account for the neatness of the work, and 

 for the remarkable circumstance, that when the exterior frame-work of 

 moss and twigs is removed, there remains a circular piece of hair-cloth, 

 (if I may use the term,) in some nests, thin indeed, but in others thick 

 and closely woven.* 1 



Architecture of Birds, p. 242. 



