226 • THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



their winter stations, so that now they leave- Heligoland lying on 

 the left and to the north of their route of passage. 



The call-note of this species, which is said by Nauiiiann and 

 Eussow to resemble the sound ' fuid-fllid,' has never been heard in 

 Heligoland : instead thereof a peculiar, somewhat protracted chirp, 

 sounding remarl^ably like the faint call of the Missel Thrush when 

 heard from a distance, has been remarked here, and, indeed, has in 

 many cases announced the presence of the bird before it has been 

 actuall}' seen. Dr. A. Walter, who observed the bird in great 

 numbers in the forests of Livonia, describes the call as a rattling 

 sound. In its whole demeanour and action this bird is a miniature 

 repetition of its near relative, the Pied Flycatcher. 



Strange to say, the first example of this species which I secured 

 had thirteen tail feathers, whence I naturally concluded that the 

 normal number was fourteen. This specimen has, I believe, passed 

 into the possession of HeiT von Zittwitz. 



The breeding range of this siJecies extends from Germany east- 

 wards to Hungary, whence it jiasses northwards to Esthouia, 

 Livonia, and Courland, and, according to Seebohm, within the same 

 parallels of latitude as far as Kamtschatka. 



Waxiving — Ampelis. — The genus of these handsomely-coloured 

 and prettily-marked birds comprises only three species. Of these 

 A. cedroriim is a native of North America; A. phcenicopterus 

 belongs to Japan, and the third, ^4. garralus, inhabits all the 

 northern parts of the Old and New Worlds, and the latter is the 

 only species which has hitherto appeared in Heligoland. 



59. — Waxwing [Seidenschwanz]. 



AMPELIS GARRULUS, Linn. 



Heligolandish : Siiedens-vens\ie = Silk-Tail. 



Boiiibicilla garrxda. Naumann, ii. 143 ; xiii. Blaskis, Nacktrdge, 45. 



Waxwing. Dresser, iii. 429. 



Grand Jaseur. Teinminck, Manuel, i. 124, iii. 71. 



This species seems everywhere, even where it is foimd as a 

 breeding bird, to occur only sporadically, and this is most par- 

 ticularly the case in Heligoland. 



During the autumn months of the year 1847 an extraordinary 

 powerful migration of eastern species took place, and among these 

 appeared, from the middle to the end of September, also some twenty 



