22



Mr. W. H. St. Quintin,



NESTING OF THE WAXWING IN CONFINEMENT.


By W. H. St. Quintin, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


The Waxwing (.Ampelis garrulus ) has always been a

favourite of mine, although, until I discarded all food of a

farinaceous nature from it’s diet, I never succeeded in keeping

this bird long in satisfactory health. That I have now hit off a

suitable regime is I think proved by the fact that I have, in a

garden aviary, a pair of Waxwings in splendid order, which have

twice hatched young this last summer.


So much interest has always attached to the breeding

habits of this charming inhabitant of northern forest lands, and

so much mystery, until Mr. Wolley’s discovery,* that I may

perhaps be pardoned for describing in some detail my birds’

operations, even though under very artificial conditions.


On May 24th, I first noticed these two birds feeding each

other (or rather the one which afterwards turned out to be the

cock feeding his companion), and going through other perfor¬

mances suggestive of a wish to go to nest. I did not take this

very seriously until I found that they were driving some other

individuals of the same species, and showing so much excitement

that I nailed the head of a spruce tree to one side of the aviary,

and suspended an orchid basket dressed with yew twigs from the

roof, supplying such materials as are said to be used by the wild

bird, except that at that time I had not any of the long tree

lichen, or Old Man’s Beard, a supply of which arrived from

Scotland too late to be of any service.


To my delight 011 June 16th, I saw one of the Waxwings

go into the swinging basket, and, by moving its body and wings,

shape a hollow, as if for a nest. The other three birds were

looking scared, and sitting on a low branch near the ground,

so we removed them.


Next day the pair had carried material (grass bents) into

the basket, and the nest looked more compact, and had assumed

a more definite shape. This went on for the next few days, the



*See Mr. Phillipps’ letter in the September number of the Magazine.



