INSESSORES. 3J3 



cies known in Europe ; south-east of Germany it is quite abun- 

 dant. Its general plumage is of a purplish red hue ; the crown 

 and crest are of a chestnut brown ; some five or six of the 

 secondary feathers, and, in very old males, some of the tail feath- 

 ers also, have the extended scarlet appendages which are refer- 

 red io above. Prince Bonaparte gives a very amiable charac- 

 ter of the European Wax-wing in a state of nature. In the 

 spring it eats all sorts of flies and other insects ; in autumn and 

 winter different kinds of berries. It is fond of the berries of 

 the mountain ash ; of grapes it is exceeding greedy, and is, 

 therefore, with reason, called ampelis. When taking wing it ut- 

 ters a note resembling the syllables zi, zi, zi, but it is generally 

 silent, though it bears the name of Chatterer. In captivity it 

 eats almost any vegetable substance, losing at the same time, 

 all its vivacity and its amiable social habits. Its length is nine 

 or ten inches. This bird was seen by Dr. Richardson in N. Lat. 

 50o, in flocks, near the Great Bear Lake ; it has also been pro- 

 cured in the vicinity of Philadelphia. 



The CEDAR WAX-WING, or CEDAR BIRD, B. Carolinensis, 

 ranges from Texas as far north as the Fur countries, and west- 

 ward to the Columbia river. Its nest is built in the fork of a 

 cedar or apple tree, and is composed of stalks of grass, coarse 

 without and fine within. In this it lays three or four eggs of a 

 bluish white, marked with dots of black and purple. It devours 

 every fruit or berry that comes in its way. Dr. Brewer says it 

 remains all the year round at Boston, and confers great benefit 

 on the farmer by destroying thousands of the destructive canker- 

 worm. Audubon thinks the name of Fruit devourers would be 

 more appropriate for these birds than that of Chatterers. " By 

 way of dessert," however, they eat largely of winged insects, 

 being troubled with most voracious appetites. 



The A. cotinga, (Gr. from kotillo, to chatter,) (see Chart,) 

 an inhabitant of Brazil, is sometimes called the Pompadour Chat- 

 terer, from having been introduced into Europe by the thought- 

 less and extravagant mistress of Louis XV. 



The RED, or JAPANESE WAX- WING, B. phcmicoptera, (Gr. 

 phoinicos, red; pteron, wing,) bears great resemblance to the 

 Cedar Bird. It was discovered by means of the scientific 

 mission to Japan, instituted by the government of the Nether- 

 lands. 



The BELL- BIRD, Procnias, (Gr. prokne, a proper name or 

 Swallow,) carunculata, (Lat. from caruncula, a small piece of 

 flesh.) is a species of the Chatterers distinguished by the soft car- 

 buncle or fleshy excrescence at the base of the beak. It is the 



