2 7 8 ANNALS OF BIRD LIFE. 



be plentiful, remaining away for several days, 

 then turning up again in full force. Redwings 

 will desert their accustomed haunts during a long- 

 continued frost, and Fieldfares and Missel-thrushes 

 are constantly wandering up and down like home- 

 less nomads. Even such homely species as the 

 Robin and the Hedge Sparrow will suddenly 

 become scarcer during a spell of cold weather ; 

 and the Wren is ever varying in numbers all the 

 winter through. Very often a district will become 

 unusually full of birds, as they have been driven 

 out of others by local storms. I have known, for 

 instance, vast flocks of Chaffinches and Buntings 

 to swell the ranks of our resident species, remain 

 a few days, then just as suddenly depart. All 

 the winter through, these local migrations are in 

 progress, and may be noted by any observer who 

 keeps a careful watch over the birds of any one 

 district. My note-books for the past twenty years 

 are full of instances of these winter movements ; 

 birds coming and going with every important 

 change in the weather. 



If some birds leave us in the winter, there are 

 others that pay us uncertain visits. One of the 

 most handsome and interesting of these is the 

 Bohemian Waxwing. This wandering, irregular 

 winter guest visits us more or less sparingly every 

 season from the Swedish forests ; but in some 

 winters it comes in immense flocks. The last 

 great Waxwing season was in the winter of 

 1866-67. The habits of this bird while with us. 



