276 AMPELIS GARRULUS — THE BOHEMIAN CHATTERER. 



sealing wax. Legs stout. Bill with short, velvety feathers 

 at base, and bristles protecting the nostrils. 



Ampelis Garrulus, Lhm. — The Bohemian Chatterer. 



Audubon's B. of Am., IV., pi. 246; Jardine's Naturalist's 

 Library, British Birds, Vol. IL, pi. 11. 



This bird is a winter visiter only and does not breed within 

 the United States, inhabiting, during the summer season, 

 the high northern latitudes of both hemispheres. During 

 the winter it is common on the lake shore, and particularly 

 so in and around Cleveland, where it feeds on the fruit of 

 the mountain ash, cedar and hawthorn. 



A few years ago this species was rare, and seen only occa- 

 sionally during severe winters. Now they are numerous, 

 almost every season. The only reason we can give for this, 

 is the increase of food resulting from the large number of 

 ornamental trees and shrubs that now decorate the thou- 

 sand gardens and shrubberies of our city and suburbs. 



The Bohemian Chatterer generally arrives in small flocks 

 of ten or twenty individuals, who keep together during the 

 whole period of their sojourn with us. When thej'^ visit a 

 garden, in which there is a good supply of winter berries, 

 they remain in that vicinity until all the food is exhausted. 

 This is always the case with the flocks that annually repair 

 to a large European hawthorn, that is usually covered with 

 berries, that is in our garden, and we have often seen flocks 

 of eighteen or twenty of these beautiful birds upon it at 

 once, eating the ripe, red fruit. They are never allowed to 

 be disturbed during their visit to us. 



This species is larger than the common Cedar Bird, to 

 which it bears a great resemblance, but may easily be dis- 

 tinguished from it by the black chin and throat, instead of 

 black chin alone. The under tail coverts are also brownish 

 chestnut; in the Cedar Bird they are white. The former 

 has white bars across the wing which the other has not. 



