on the Waxwing.



117



Mr. Grouvold, of one of the eggs laid here ; the first, so far as I

can learn, that has ever been laid in confinement by the Wax¬

wing. There now remains on the British list no bird which is a

tolerably frequent visitor, about whose eggs and nesting habits,

it has to be said that nothing is known ; much, even in the last

year or two, having been learnt about several species breeding in

the vast “Tundra” swamps of Siberia, but which visit these

islands more or less regularly in spring or autumn.


But it was very different half a century ago. And about

no conspicuous and easily identified species was there more com¬

plete ignorance than about the subject of this paper.


It was not till 1856 that Mr. John Wolley was able to

announce that, as the result of several arduous journeys to Lap-

laud, he had discovered the secret of the Waxwing ; and one can

imagine the gratification of the great Oologist, when he told his

audience the now familiar story of the peasant Ludwig’s finding

the nest and eggs, which he himself was able to verify the next

year. One of the original nests brought home by Mr. Wolley can

be seen in the National Collection in Cromwell Road. It is of

dark tree-lichen, interwoven amongst dry spruce twigs, and lined

with dead grass and a few feathers. Mr. Phillipps has given the

whole narrative, as well as further information about the Wax¬

wing and its allies, in this Magazine (New Series, Vol. I.)


One great obstacle to studying the habits of the Waxwing

has been the irregularity of its movements ; not only when it

wanders south to avoid the severity of the arctic winter, but also

when it is selecting a district to breed in. One can understand

why its appearance here should be uncertain, as its visits depend

upon the conditions of the weather far north and east of us. But

it is less easy to understand why, in the breeding area, it is in

some years quite plentiful ; while in others, on the same ground,

it can hardly be found. In 1856 we read that Mr. Wolley received

from his collectors twenty-nine eggs ; and one may be sure that,

for such a prize, the district was well searched. In 1857 he him¬

self, with all his ardour, could not “ get a sight of” a single pair

of the birds; and his nearest approach to success was the dis¬

covery of one forsaken nest, with broken eggs lying on the

ground below. I11 the next year the bird was abundant, and

about 700 eggs were sent out of the Muoniovara district.



