on the Waxwing Nesting in a British Aviary. 363


breeding season in the valleys of the Petchora and the Yenesei.

Although the species occurs in the interior of Alaska, apparently

somewhat plentifully, only once has its nest been found in the

territory; this was by Kennicott, near Fort Yukon, in July, 1S61.

This species must surely nest elsewhere in the Arctic portions of

North America, as it has been observed on the Anderson river

during the breeding-time ; but at present the Alaskan record is

the only one for the whole of North America.”



I have recently received three letters from Mr. St. Quintin,

extracts from which he authorises me to publish :—


“June 26, 1903. I thought I was going to chronicle a real

success in bird-breeding! A pair of my Waxwings, some three

weeks ago, began to feed each other, and show various evident

signs of pairing (we saw them pair once). Ten days ago I put a

rough nest into the aviary suspended from a beam (a mistake).

They soon took to this, altered it, and rebuilt and lined it with

small roots and feathers. I had not then any of the ‘ old man’s

beard,’ or tree lichen, which I have now obtained from Scotland.

The birds became exceedingly tame, and I fed them well, adding

mealworms freely to the ordinary diet. At last we felt sure that

there was an egg, or eggs, and expected the hen to commence

sitting. Suddenly Mr. Meade-Waldo, who has been here, told

me on Monday that he thought the hen was going to build in

another place. I am sorry to say this is true, and they are

building, but in a more desultory way, in the head of a spruce

tree nailed against the wall, in an old Missel Thrush’s nest,

which they have added to.


“I am afraid they are not so keen as they were ! How

near success we were you may guess when I say that this

morning I found a beautiful egg, perfectly formed and coloured,

in the deserted nest. I fear the cause of desertion was that, in a

heavy wind from an unusual quarter, the nest (in a cage dressed

with yew-boughs, and made up from the bottom with twigs and

roots, to receive the true nest of the birds) swung and twisted

round. As soon as I noticed this, it was rectified ; but I fear it

unsettled the birds. I took three other Waxwings out of this



