The Waxwing ig 



usually without the white tips to the iuuer webs of the primaries, and with smaller 

 wax-like terminations to the secondaries ; the tips of the tail-feathers somewhat 

 narrower. The young are browner, and have no black on the throat. 



This species appears in the breeding-season to haunt the more open portions 

 of forests of conifers and birch, but chiefly woods of pine, or larch, nesting in 

 colonies. The nest is a large open cup-shaped structure built upon the branch 

 of a tree, upon a foundation of twigs and reindeer moss, composed principally 

 of black hair-lichen, interwoven with slender twigs, bark, moss, and feathers, the 

 latter appearing most prominently in the lining. The eggs usually number from 

 five to six, rarely seven, and are described by Professor Newton, who owns the 

 greater part of the large series acquired by John Wolley (the discoverer of the 

 breeding-grounds of this species) as "delicate sea-green, sometimes fading to French 

 white, but often of a more or less pale-olive, and occasionally of a dull purplish- 

 grey. On this are almost always bold blotches, spots, and specks of deep brownish- 

 black, though sometimes the edges are blurred. Beneath these stronger markings 

 there is nearly always a series of blotches or streaks of greyish-lilac, and among 

 them well-defined spots or specks of yellowish-brown are interspersed. In some 

 eggs the darkest markings are quite wanting, in others the ground is of a deep 

 olive colour." 



According to Seebohm, who, in 1867, kept a pair of this species in a cage, 

 "They were remarkably silent birds; the only note I heard was a cir-ir-iy-ir-re, 

 very similar to a well-known note of the Blue-Tit. Occasionally this succession 

 of notes was repeated so rapidly as to form a trill like the song of the Redpole." 



In the summer time the Waxwing appears to be largel}', if not wholly insecti- 

 vorous, crane-flies seeming to constitute its favourite food ; but later in the year 

 it devours great quantities of berries of juniper, privet, guelder-rose, as well as 

 hips and haws : it is especially fond of mistletoe berries. In the winter, when 

 Waxwings are very fat, they are said to be greatly esteemed by the Russians as 

 an article of food. 



Lord Lilford, in his "Birds of Northamptonshire," speaks of "the chatter of 

 a party of Waxwings passing overhead whilst we were inspecting my aviary in 

 the pleasure-grounds at Lilford," and he adds — " I am well acquainted with the 

 note of the Waxwing from having kept many of them in confinement, a proceeding 

 which I cannot recommend, as they have no merit whatever except their beauty, 

 being dull, quarrelsome, greedy, and filthy to an incredible degree, and in most 

 instances dying from plethora after a short captivity. Hips and haws, currants, 

 raisins, (in fact, small fruit of all kinds) are voraciously devoured by these birds, 

 and appear to be their favourite food, but they will also eat chopped meat, hard- 



