WAXWING 1027 
regarded was enhanced by the mystery which enshrouded its birth- 
place, and until the summer of 1856 defied the searching of any 
explorer. In that’ year, however, all doubt was dispelled, through 
the successful search in Lapland, organized by the late John 
Wolley, as briefly described by him (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1857, pp. 55, 
56, pl. exxii.).t In 1858 Mr. Dresser found a small settlement of 
the species on an island in the Baltic near Uleaborg, and with his 
own hands took a nest. It is now pretty evident that the Wax- 
wing, though doubtless breeding yearly in some parts of northern 
Europe, is as irregular in the choice of its summer-quarters as in 
that of its winter-retreats. Moreover, the species exhibits the same 
irregular habits in America. Mr. Drexler on one occasion, in 
Nebraska, saw it in “millions.” In 1861 Kennicott found it breed- 
ing on the Yukon, and later Mr. MacFarlane had the like good 
fortune on the Anderson River. 
Beautiful as is the bird with its drooping crest, its cinnamon- 
brown plumage passing in parts into grey or chestnut, and relieved 
by black, white and yellow—all of the purest tint—the external 
feature which has invited most attention is the “sealing-wax” 
which tips some of the secondary or cubital quills, and occasionally 
those of the tail.2 This is nearly as much exhibited by the kindred 
species, 4. cedrorum—the well-known CEDAR-BIRD of North America 
—which is easily distinguished by its smaller size, less-black chin- 
spot, the yellower tinge of the lower parts and the want of white 
on the wings. In the 4. phenicoptera of south-eastern Siberia and 
Japan the remiges and rectrices are tipped with red in the ordinary 
way without dilatation of the shaft of the feathers, 
Both the Waxwing and Cedar-bird seem to live chiefly on in- 
sects in summer, but are greatly addicted to berries during the rest 
of the year, and will gorge themselves if opportunity allow. Hence 
they are not pleasant cage-birds, though quickly becoming tame. 
The erratic habits of the Waxwing are probably due chiefly to the 
supplies of food it may require, prompted also by the number of 
mouths to be fed, for there is some reason to think that this varies 
greatly from one year to another, according to season. ‘The flocks 
which visit Britain and other countries outside the breeding-range of 
the species naturally contain a very large proportion of young birds.® 
1 A fuller account of his discovery, illustrated by Hewitson, is given in The 
Ibis (1861, pp. 92-106, pl. iv.). 
2 The structure of these appendages has been carefully described by Herr 
Andersen (Gfvers. K. Vet.-Ak. Forhandl. 1859, pp. 219-231, pl. ii). Their 
development seems chiefly due to age, though, as Wolley shewed, they are per- 
ceptible in the nestlings. Mr. Turner states (Contr. Nat. Hist. Alaska, p. 177) 
that the Eskimo name of the Waxwing means a ‘‘killer of small birds,” these 
appendages being held to be “‘ the clotted blood of its victims” ! 
° The systematic position of the genus Ampelis is very doubtful. It can 
