342 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Family AMPELID^. Wax\vin(;s, etc. 



Subfamily AMPELIN^. Waxwixgs. 



Genus AMPELIS Linx.eu8. 



AMPELIS GARRULUS (Linx.). 



•251. Bohemian Waxwing. (61'^) 



(ieneral color, hrowiiisli-asli, shading iusensihly from the clear ash of the 

 tail and its upper coverts and rump into a reddish-tinged ash anteriorly, this 

 peculiar tint heightening on the head, especiallj' on the forehead and sides of 

 the head, into orange-l)ro\\ n. A narrow fi'ontal line, and broader bar through 

 the eye, with the chin an<l throat sooty-black, not sharply bordei'ed with 

 white ; no yellowish on belly ; under tail coverts, orange-brown or chestnut ; 

 tail, ash, deepening to l)lackish-asli towards the end, broadly tip})ed with rich 

 yellow ; wings, asliy-blackish ; primaries tipped (chiefly on the outer webs) 

 with sharp spaces of yellow or white, or both ; secondaries with white spaces 

 at the ends of the outer webs, the shafts usually ending with enlarged, horny, 

 red appemlages ; primary covei-ts, tipped with white ; bill, Vjlackish-plumbeous, 

 often paler at l)ase below ; feet, black ; sexes alike. Length, 7 or 8 inclics ; 

 wing, about 4^ ; tail. 2h. 



H.\B. — Northern parts of the northern hcmisi)herc ; in North America, 

 south, in winter, irregularly, to the Northern Unite<l States. 



Nest and eggs, similar to those of the cedar bird. 



This handsome, eccentric, garrulous wanderer is eoinnion to the 

 high latitudes of botli continents, often appearing unexpectedly in 

 very large flocks, and disap2:)earing (juite as mysteriously, not to be 

 seen again foi' many yeai-s in succession. 



The Ontario I'ecords are mostly of small flocks which occasionally 

 visit us during the winter, and feed on the berries of the red cedar 

 or the mountain ash. Sometimes they move l^y themselves, some- 

 times in company with the Pine Grosbeaks; the Waxwings taking 

 the pulpy part of the berries and the (Jrtjsbeaks preferring the hard 

 seeds. The nest of this species was found by Mr Kennicott on the 

 Yukon, and l)y Mr. Macfailane on the Anderson River, but when 

 we read the accounts of the vast flocks wliich have been seen by 

 travellers, we have to arlinit that it is little we know of their summer 

 haunts and homes. 



I have always liad a great achniration for these noi'therii strangers, 

 iis they apj)ear from time to time (hn-iiig the winter, liut those T 

 had captured l)ecame insignificant when compared with a few adult 

 specimens sent to me by Mr. Allan Brooks from British Columbia, 



