of the Breeding of the Waxwing. 103 



and sailed to Warjakka, an island outside the harbour, where we 

 provisioned for our trip. We then started for Sandou ; but, 

 there being but little wind, did not arrive off the island until 

 about two o'clock in the morning. We grounded at some 

 distance outside, and all three stripped for a swim, to find some 

 deeper water ; but, not being able to get the boat much nearer, 

 we made her fast and carried our traps on shore, getting almost 

 devoured by mosquitoes in so doing. We had heard that there 

 was a rough log-hut somewhere on the island, built by the Karlo 

 peasants, who come annually to take away the marsh-grass, and 

 accordingly set off in search of it. We were crossing a small open 

 place when we started a bird, which Granberg, who was on first, 

 said was a Waxwing {Ampelis garrulus), and having my gun 

 loaded with dust-shot, I followed it up and succeeded in shooting 

 it. It proved to be an adult female, and had evidently been in- 

 cubating. We searched all the bushes and trees near, in hopes 

 of finding a nest, but without any success ; and as the mosquitoes 

 were very troublesome, we determined to find the hut, take a nap, 

 and continue the search afterwards. We soon did find it, and 

 after smoking out the mosquitoes and stopping up the smoke- 

 hole, turned in on some marsh-grass, and did not awake until 

 pretty late in the day. After breakfast we separated to explore 

 the island ; and Heikel and myself, meeting soon after on the 

 opposite side, went on in company, but had no success, only 

 finding a few small birds. * * * 



" We had quite given up all hopes of finding the Waxwing's 

 nest, when, as I was crossing a little barren to join Heikel, I 

 saw, in a small pine-tree close to where he was standing, a nest 

 with several young ones in it sitting bolt upright, just as Grebes 

 sit. Going nearer, I instantly knew them to be Waxwings. 

 We threw off our game-bags, and, while he stood below, I 

 climbed up to the nest, which was in the fork between the main 

 stem and the first branch, and not above nine or ten feet from the 

 ground. The moment I touched it, the young ones (five in 

 number) flew out. I jumped down, made a cut at the largest 

 with my cap, and secured him; but Heikel did not get one. 

 Directly the young one which I had caught began to cry out, 

 several Waxwings flew from the neighbouring thicket, all how- 



