Pine Grosbeak and Bohemian Chatterer, 471 



They stayed only about an hour in the morning, and were too 

 shy to allow him to approach within gunshot. 



The district where these birds breed is unknown. Bechstein 

 says that it does not build in Germany when wild, but within the 

 Arctic Circle. 



Bonaparte gives a very amiable character of the European 

 Wax-Wing in a state of nature, attributing to them a particular 

 sentiment of benevolence, even independent of reciprocal sexual 

 attraction. " Not only," says the Prince, " do the male and fe- 

 male caress and feed each other, but the sam« proofs of mutual 

 kindness have been observed between individuals of the same 

 sex.'' Speaking of their habits he says, " They always alight on 

 trees, hopping awkwardly on the ground. Their flight is very 

 rapid : when taking wing they utter a note resembling the syl- 

 lables zi, zi, ri, but are generally silent notwithstanding the name 

 that has been given them." Bechstein says, "When wild we see 

 it in the spring eating, like thrushes, all sorts of flies and other 

 insects ; in autumn and winter, difi'erent kinds of berries ; and in 

 time of need, the buds and sprouts of the beech, maple, and 

 various fruit-trees." Willoughby states that it feeds upon fruit, 

 especially grapes, of which it is very greedy. " Wherefore it 

 seems to me," he adds, " not without reason, to be called by that 

 name AmpelisP Bonaparte makes their food to consist of dif- 

 ferent kinds of juicy berries, or of insects, observing that they 

 are fond of the berries of the mountain-ash and Phytolacca^ and 

 that they are extremely greedy of grapes, and also, though in a 

 less degree, of Juniper and laurel -berries, apples, currants, figs, 

 and other fruits. He adds that they drink often, dipping their 

 •bills repeatedly. 



In captivity its qualities do not appear to be very attractive, 

 according to Bechstein, who says that nothing but its beauty and 

 scarcity can render the possession of it desirable, for that it is a 

 stupid and lazy bird. Indeed he draws such a picture of its gree- 

 diness and dirty habits, that, if it be not overcharged, few we 

 should think would wish to have it as an inmate. Leaving out 

 the more unpleasant parts of his description, we take the follow- 

 ing extract from his ' Cage Birds' : — " During the ten or twelve 

 years that it can exist in confinement, and on very meagre food, 

 it does nothing but eat and repose for digestion. If hunger induc- 

 es it to move, its step is awkward, and its jumps so clumsy as to 

 be disagreeable to the eye. Its song consists only of weak and 

 >iineertaiu whistling, a little resembling the thrush, but not so 



