THE WAX-WINGS. 175 



THE WAX-WINGS. GENUS AMPELTS. 

 Ampelis, Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 297 (1766). 

 Type, A.garruhis, Linn. 



THE WAX-WING. AMPELIS GARRULUS. 

 (Plate XIX.) 



Ampelis garruhts, Linn., S. N., i., p. 297 (1766) ; Dresser, B. 



Eur., iii., p. 429, pi. 155 (1873); Newt. ed. Yarn, i., p. 



523 (1874); B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 39 (1883); Seeb., 



Br. B., ii., p. 3 (1884) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., x., p. 



212 (1885); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. vi. (1888); 



Saunders, Man., p. 147 (1889). 

 Rombycilla garntla, Macg., Br. B., iii., p. 533 (1840). 



Adult Male. General colour drab-brown, greyer towards the 

 rump, and pure grey on the upper tail-coverts; wing-coverts 

 like the back, the bases grey ; primary-coverts black, tipped 

 with white ; quills black, white at the tip, and yellow towards 

 the end of the outer web ; the secondaries grey, with a subter- 

 minal blackish shade before the white tip, the innermost 

 secondaries browner, the white-tipped feathers with produced 

 and flattered shafts forming a wax-like appendage ; tail grey, 

 tipped with yellow, with a broad subterminal bar of black, and, 

 in old individuals, a tiny shaft-tip of wax-like red ; head and 

 an ample crest drab-brown ; fore part of crown and region 

 above the eyes chestnut ; the base of the forehead, region of the 

 eye, black, extending above the latter to the nape ; sides of 

 face and ear-coverts pale rufous-drab, a little more chestnut on 

 the hinder cheeks ; on the fore part of the cheeks a white spot ; 

 a narrow line of white above the ear-coverts ; throat black ; 

 remainder of under surface light drab, greyer on the breast and 

 abdomen, the vent inclining to yellowish-white ; under tail- 

 coverts deep chestnut ; thighs ashy-grey ; bill black, paler at 

 the base; feet and claws black ; iris hazel. Total length, 7-25 

 inches; culmen, 0*6 ; wing, 4*6; tail, 2*55; tarsus, 075. 



Adult Female. Only differs from the male in having a smaller 

 crest, and the wax-like appendages fewer in number on the 

 wings, and never apparently developed on the tail. Total 

 length, 7 inches ; wing, 4'4. 



Youn?. Not like the adults, being dark olive-brown above, 

 the feathers edged with whity-brown ; head brown, with a 



