

ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OP LAPLAND. 279 



There is no northern bird whose breeding 

 liabits have been shrouded in such mystery as the 

 waxwing chatterer (Bombycitta garrula, Veil. ; 

 " sidensvans," Sw. ; " baeljerastasch," Lap.). So 

 many different accounts have been given by 

 men who had evidently never met with the bird 

 in the summer season, that the thanks of every 

 naturalist are due to the indefatigable exertions 

 of the late Mr. Wooley for setting at rest the 

 qucestio vexata. It is difficult to believe half 

 one hears up here; but he must evidently have 

 been in " the thick of them," for he is reported 

 to have obtained upwards of 400 eggs up near 

 Munioniska, at least with the assistance of the 

 Laps. Ij was, however, not so lucky, for we 

 never saw the waxwing while we were at Quick- 

 iock ; and the only nest I obtained was from a col- 

 lector there, with two eggs, which was taken the 

 year before about an English mile from Quickiock, 

 and the old female snared on the nest. In some 

 seasons, however, they are rather common here, 

 l3ut the waxwings appear to be as uncertain in 

 their summer as in their winter migrations, for 

 ven in the tracts around Munio, from which Mr. 

 Wooley obtained so many eggs in 1855 or 1856, 

 in some seasons hardly a nest is to be found. The 

 nest is large, with thick walls, not very neatly or 

 artistically built ; outside, sticks, grass, and rein- 



