AMPELIN^E. BOMEYCILLA. 183 



GENUS LVII. BOMBYCILLA. WAXWING. 



Bill short, straight, broad at the base, compressed toward 

 the end ; upper mandible with the dorsal line convex, the 

 ridge narrow, the edges sharp and overlapping, the notches 

 distinct, the tip small, declinate, rather acute ; lower man- 

 dible smaller, with the angle wide, the dorsal line convex, 

 the edges somewhat inclinate, the tip acute, ascending, with 

 a small sinus ; gape-line straight. Tongue short, triangular, 

 sagittate and papillate at the base, concave above, with the 

 tip horny and deeply slit ; mouth wide ; oesophagus very wide, 

 enlarged about the middle ; stomach small, moderately mus- 

 cular, roundish, with a dense, rugous, epithelium ; intestine 

 short, and excessively wide ; coeca very small, oblong. Nos- 

 trils large, oval. Eyes of moderate size. Head ovato-ob- 

 long ; neck short ; body moderately full. Legs short ; tar- 

 sus compressed, with seven scutella ; toes of moderate size, 

 outer slightly adherent at the base, and a little longer than 

 the inner ; claws moderate, arched, compressed, laterally 

 grooved, acute. Plumage very soft and blended ; head with 

 a conspicuous tuft ; wings rather long, pointed, the first and 

 second quills longest ; secondaries abruptly rounded, with the 

 shaft prolonged into a narrow, oblong, coloured, horny ap- 

 pendage ; tail of moderate length, nearly even. 



The Waxwings, so named on account of the little appen- 

 dages to the wings, in colour resembling red sealing-wax, 

 belong to the arctic regions of both continents. 



112. BOMBYCILLA GARRULA. BLACK-THROATED WAXWING. 



General colour of the plumage light greyish-brown, shaded 

 behind into ash-grey ; forehead and lower tail-coverts brown- 

 ish-orange ; throat and a band from the nostrils to the occiput 

 black ; primary coverts tipped with white ; primaries with a 

 yellow, secondaries with a white spot, at the end of the outer 

 web ; tail greyish-black, tipped with yellow. 



Male, 9, 16, 4 T ^, T B T , T 9 ^, T V, & Female, 8j. 



This beautiful bird is only an occasional or accidental visi- 

 ter, appearing in winter, generally in large flocks, and feeding 

 on the berries of the hawthorn and mountain-ash. At that 

 season it is said to be generally dispersed over the Continent ; 

 but in summer it retires northward. 



