OCCASIONAL NOTES. oy 
OccurRENGE oF THE Waxwine at Banrr.—In the middle of 
February—when we had all the appearance here, if we did not feel it, of 
living within Arctic regions—five of these birds alighted on a garden-wall in 
this town close to a friend of mine, who was scraping away the snow to get 
at some “ green-meat ” (chickweed) for a few home-pets he had. They came 
so close, chattering all the while, that my friend could have counted the 
red specks on their wings. As soon as he left the spot they alighted and 
commenced to peck about amongst the disturbed ground. The Waxwing, 
it appears, does not despise insects and worms when its more usual or 
common food is scanty, or not to be had. I remember, during a severe 
winter many years since, dissecting three birds of this species,—killed 
out of a flock which were feeding on a moss from which peat had been 
carted that day,—and finding in their stomachs numerous flies, beetles, and 
a few grubs. The five individuals above alluded to were seen two days 
afterwards in a small plantation near the town, feeding on the fruit of 
the rowan-tree or mountain ash. These berries, though then somewhat 
withered, were, I presume, a little more palatable to their taste than either 
insects or worms. But what will not man or animal eat when on the verge 
of starvation ?—Tuomas Epwarp (Banff). 
[From the severity of the past winter and the advent in various parts 
of the country of a considerable number of Wild Swans and other northern 
wildfowl, we had expected to hear of numerous captures of Waxwings. 
Strange to say, however, very few of these birds seem to have been observed 
this winter, or at least their occurrence, if they did appear, has not been 
reported. In the severe winter of 1866-7 these birds were so plentiful that 
between the 17th November and the 7th January, in Norfolk alone, one 
hundred and forty-four were procured, and this abundance was noticed in 
many other counties. During the winter of 1872-8, although not quite so 
numerous, a good many were procured. That winter, however, was not a 
severe one, and Mr. Stevenson has remarked (Zool. 1873, p. 3559) that 
the appearance of Waxwings on our eastern coasts during the winter 
months “is not due, as a rule, to the severity of the season.” With regard 
to the food cf these birds, Mr. Southwell, of Norwich, on dissecting several 
specimens procured in the winter of 1872-3, found, in the stomachs of all 
but two, the remains of whitethorn haws; the exceptions had been feeding 
apparently on privet-berries, the whole intestinal canal being stained a rich 
purple.—Eb. | 
American Summer Duck (Anas sponsa) IN THE CoUNTY OF 
WatEerForD.—Two males of this handsome species were shot about 
1848 or 1849, in winter, on Camphire Island, in the Blackwater, by 
my cousin, Mr. Christopher Ussher. Young as I then was, I was 
interested in the occurrence at the time, and remember it. Both birds 
QF 
