20 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 2 



thickly sprinkled all ovei- with specks of Mars 

 brown, while the other lias a ffround color of 

 russet, sprinkled with specks of burnt umber: 

 2.13x l.fKi; 2.14 x l.dS. (Incubation begun.) 



Set IV. May 0, 1888. Sweetwater County, 

 Wyoming. Nest on a rock on the bank of the 

 Big Sandy River Three eggs, incubation com- 

 menced. The groiuid cohn- varies from a deep 

 cream to hazel, and it is almost wholly ob- 

 scured with si^ecks of cinnamon-rufous and 

 light chestnut: 2.28x1.(58: 2. lo x l.(i4: 2.20 x 

 l.<)7. 



Sets II, III aiul lY are described by me in 

 Davie's Nexlf< and -Ef/r/.s, 1889, j). 18(;. 



J. P. N. 



The Bohemian Waxwing. 



This maguiticent bird is a tolerably common 

 winter visitor to tiiis locality, in fact it is a 

 characteristic bird of the northwest. Inhabit- 

 ing as it does the northern i^art of both hemis- 

 pheres, straying in this country south to the 

 northern tier of states in winter only, compar- 

 atively few have an opportunity of observing 

 its habits, hence a few notes may be of in- 

 terest. 



As far as my experience goes I tind that 

 these birds visit this loc;i,lity every two years. 

 I remember seeing tiiem in \S;5 ; in '85 they 

 were quite common, in "87 they were found, 

 but very few ; last year not a solitary bird 

 coidd be found, while this year they are more 

 nnnu'rous than ever bef(n-e. 



In '87 the first were seen the latter part of 

 February, this year they put in an appearance 

 on Jaimnry 17, when a dock of about fifty 

 were seen, since tiien they have been seen al- 

 most daily up to date (February 20). 



All seen this year so far liave been in tlie 

 city; tiiere are probably about foiu- flocks of 

 titty each in different parts of tlu' town. Occa- 

 sionally they all join in one large flock and 

 when they liglit on a mountain ash tree, it is 

 surprising to see how the berries disappear. 

 While tiius engaged they are very tame, allow- 

 ing a person to walk directly under tlie tree 

 witluiut taking alarm. While in seaicli of food 

 they are very restless, flying about fit>m one 

 place to another, remnining but a moment at 

 each place fill a suitable ground is found. 

 After gorging themselves with mountain ash 

 berries which form fheir j^rincipal articles of 

 diet, they tly to a neighboring tree to enjoy 

 the effects of their nu'al. Tlie tree selected is 

 generally one tall enough to allow the sun's 



rays to reach them over the house tops. Here 

 they sit for hours if undisturbed, sunning them- 

 selves and digesting their food; under such a 

 tree the ground will be found strewn with the 

 skins of the berries, they swallowing the pulp 

 and seeds ; occasionally one will fly down to 

 the roof of a house and take several large 

 mouthfuls of sm)w; the berries seem to make 

 them thirsty, as I liave seen over half the dock 

 eating snow at once, after feeding on the ber- 

 ries. They are generally found feeding early 

 in the morning and again late in the afternoon; 

 where they spend the night I have never beeji 

 able to ascertain, but they are always seen to 

 depart in the same direction as evening draws 

 near. 



Their maimer of flight is peculiar; instead 

 of moving in a comi>act body as most gregari- 

 ous birds do, they string out, only two or three 

 birds being abreast, giving the dock a much 

 larger appearance than it really is. They are 

 a long bodied bird and together with their 

 quite long tail and neck, they present an odd 

 appearance in flight ; there is also a peculiar 

 flutter of the wings, something characteristic 

 of this species. 



Quite often they are found in a frolicsome 

 mood; a Hock will pitch out of a tree top and 

 with astonishing ra])idity skim along near the 

 ground, dart nj) over a house, turn a shai]) 

 corner like a dash and presently return to the 

 same tree as meek as can be. Sometimes this 

 feat is ])erformed by a single bird and can hard- 

 ly be followed by the sight. When acting thus 

 their dight most resembles the nervous dying 

 of the Chimney Swift, but much more rapid. 

 A Peregrine Falcon would, 1 believe, be taxed 

 to his utmost to overtake a Waxwing. 



In looking over a series of these birds many 

 curious forms are found. One has the outer 

 quill of the tail only about one-fourth as wide 

 as its fellows, a regular "spurious (piill"" in 

 fact. Another has the yellow band on the 

 tail missing, with the excei)tion of a few tine 

 yellow threads in some of the feathers; it Inul 

 surely not been worn off as the tail was per- 

 fectly formed. Others have the yellow mottled 

 with black and still others have the color 

 bright and iiuii' on one side of the tail and 

 either missim': or pale on the other. 



High ])lumaged birds have the red "wax"" 

 on flic tip of the tail as well as the wings, they 

 are also said to have' it occasionally on the end 

 of the crest but I have never found one ; they 

 are geiier.ally more highly <levelo[)ed in the 

 male. 



These red appendages do not necessarily de- 



