THE WAXWING 
AMPELIS GARRULUS 
LocaL names in surrounding counties : 
Status 1N British Avirauna: An irregular and no- 
madic winter migrant. It is most frequently met with 
in the eastern counties, and rarest in Ireland. 
Raprat DistTriBUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 
Paut’s: A special local interest attaches to the Waxwing, 
for a specimen shot at Camberwell in 1803 was the sub- 
ject for the figure given by Graves in his British Ornitho- 
logy, which contained a coloured representation of every 
then known species of British bird. Since those days 
the Waxwing has continued to pay irregular and un- 
certain visits to the Metropolis, where it has been shot 
or noticed in a great many districts. It is one of those 
species of which little need be said concerning its 
abnormal distribution within the Metropolitan area. 
Winters may pass and not an example may be observed ; 
then may come a season when the erratic bird may visit 
us in extraordinary numbers, as was the case in 1830-31, 
1834-35, 1849-50, 1866-67, 1872. During the latter 
visitation London was exceptionally visited. Localities 
are no more favoured, and the Waxwing may quite unex- 
pectedly appear in almost any part of the Metropolis 
sufficiently wooded to afford it a resting-place. 
This is another species the habits of which do not 
require ito be dealt’ with m much detail here” Whe 
Waxwing is everywhere a wandering, erratic species, and 
seldom breeds in the same localities for two successive 
years. Its habits are by no means perfectly known. It 
is more or less gregarious and social, even during summer, 
and its actions are lively and engaging. Its food con- 
sists of berries, small fruits, and insects. Its notes are 
described as similar to the call of the Blue Titmouse, 
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