THE BOHEMIAN WAXW1NG, OK WAXEN CHATTERER 



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This bird possesses a fine and well-marked crest, which curves so boldly that it nearly 

 nides the short, wide, and hooked beak under its feathers. According to Sir S. Raffles, 

 the colouring of this species is as follows : " The general colour of this bird is a brilliant 

 emerald-green. ... A little above and before the eyes, the feathers are of a deep velvet- 

 black at their base, and only tipped with green, but crossed in the coverts by three velvet- 

 black bands. The primary feathers, as well as the whole under side of the wings, are 

 dusky, approaching to black, with the exception of the outer margins of some, which are 

 edged with green. The tail is short, rounded, and composed of ten feathers, which are 

 green above and bluish-black below. The whole of the under parts are green ; this colour 

 is brightest on the sides of the neck and round the eyes." 



The total length of this species is about six inches, and the bird resembles a thrush in 

 the general contour of its body. 



15OHEMIAN WAXWING, OR WAXEN CHATTERER. 'Ampelis gtirrula. 



A SMALL but interesting group of birds has been designated by the name of Ampelinae, 

 or Chatterers, in allusion to the loquacity for which some of the species are remarkable. 

 They all have a wide mouth, opening nearly as far as the eyes, but without the bristly 

 appendages which so often accompany a large extent of gape. Several of the species are 

 celebrated for the singular hairy appendage to the secondary and tertiary quill-feathers of 

 the wings, which closely resemble spots of red sealing-wax, and have given rise to the 

 title of Waxen, which has been almost invariably applied to these birds. 



ONE well-known species, the WAXEN CHATTEEEE, is a tolerably frequent visitor of 

 England, though it cannot be reckoned among the common British birds. It is also 

 known by the name of the BOHEMIAN CHATTEEEK, the latter name being singularly 

 inappropriate, as the bird is quite as rare in Bohemia as in England. 



It is a very gregarious bird, assembling in very large flocks, and congregating so closely 

 together, that great numbers have been killed at a single discharge of a gun. A corre- 

 spondent of the Field newspaper, dating from Christiana, in Norway, gives the following 

 interesting particulars of this curious bird : " For the last month there have b*en, and 



