. Birds of Britain . as we are from the Chinese ! When he does utter a note, which is towards evening orwhen suddenly alarmed, it is a short shrill iss, ratherlike a pencil being drawn across a slate; his song, whichis commenced in March and only carried on during thebreeding season, is like his own character, very sweet andunobtrusive, being in fact a low warble, wandering throughits inconsecutive measures without any marked phrases orpauses. By early April he will have chosen his mate andthe site for his future home, and now and again one maysee him having a slight tiff with a neighbour, who
. Birds of Britain . as we are from the Chinese ! When he does utter a note, which is towards evening orwhen suddenly alarmed, it is a short shrill iss, ratherlike a pencil being drawn across a slate; his song, whichis commenced in March and only carried on during thebreeding season, is like his own character, very sweet andunobtrusive, being in fact a low warble, wandering throughits inconsecutive measures without any marked phrases orpauses. By early April he will have chosen his mate andthe site for his future home, and now and again one maysee him having a slight tiff with a neighbour, who maycovet his particular nesting-place, but it is nothing serious,for the said neighbour, if defeated, will have his home buta few yards farther on and apparently enjoy possessionunmolested. The nest is a beautiful structure ; the foundation is madeof twigs and leaves, and the nest itself is of moss, stronglyfelted together and lined with horsehair; it is perfectly 68 HEDGE ACCENTOR (HEDGE SPARROW)Accentor modularis. i^- X The Hedge Accentor circular in shape and somewhat deep. Here are laid foureggs of a beautiful blue with no spots or blotches to marthe purity of the colour: altogether this little home is in itsquiet way one of the most beautiful of our common naturalobjects; but— it is only a sparrow, and the passer-byeither destroys it or goes on without a thought for our littlefriend or the beauty of his home. When his mate beginsher tedious business of incubation he attends to her wantswith unremitting care, bringing her any delicacies in theshape of insects, flies, and caterpillars he can find. Theyoung at first look like balls of down, and when they openbright orange-coloured mouths they are quickly filled withwhat is apparently a favourite food—luscious green cater-pillars. When they leave the nest the young wear a dullmottled brown plumage, and without more ado take theirplace in the world around, and lead a quiet unobtrusive lifenear the home where they were bred
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirdsgreatbritain
