THE BOHEMIAN WAX-WING. 



/ I'l**" 



(^ HE Bohemian Wax-wing is 

 interesting for its gipsy-like 

 wanderings, one winter visit- 

 ing one country, next season 

 another, often in enormous flocks, and 

 usually with intervals of many years, 

 so that in former times their appear- 

 ance was regarded as sure forebodings 

 of war and pestilence, their arrival 

 being dreaded as much as that of a 

 comet. Another interesting feature of 

 its history is the fact that for a long 

 time this familiar bird eluded the 

 search of the zoologist. Its breeding- 

 habits, and even the place where it 

 breeds, were unknown thirty years 

 ago, until finally discovered by Mr. 

 Wolley in Lapland, after a diligent 

 search during four summers. It is 

 also called the European or Common 

 Silk-tail, and is an inhabitant both of 

 northern Europe and of North 

 America, though in America the Cedar 

 Bird is more often met with. In the 

 northern portions of Europe, birch and 

 pine forests constitute its favorite 

 retreats, and these it seldom quits, 

 except when driven by unusual 

 severity of weather, or by heavy falls 

 of snow, to seek refuge in more 

 southern provinces. It is said that 

 even in Russia, Poland, and southern 

 Scandinavia it is constantly to be seen 

 throughout the entire winter ; that 

 indeed, so rarely does it wander to 

 more southern latitudes, that in 

 Germany it is popularly supposed to 

 make its appearance once in seven 

 years. On the occasion of these rare 



migrations, the Silk-tails keep together 

 in large flocks, and remain in any 

 place that affords them suitable food 

 until the supply is exhausted. 



These birds are heavy and indolent, 

 exerting themselves rarely except to 

 satisfy hunger. They live in perfect 

 harmony, and during their migrations 

 indicate no fear of man, seeking their 

 food in the streets of the villages and 

 towns. They frequently settle in the 

 trees, remaining almost motionless for 

 hours together. Their flight is light 

 and graceful, but on the ground they 

 move with difficulty. Their call note 

 is a hissing, twittering sound. In 

 summer, insects are their chief food, 

 while in winter they live principally 

 on berries. The Wax-wing will 

 devour in the course of twenty-four 

 hours an amount of food equal to the 

 weight of its own body. In Lapland 

 is the favorite nesting ground of the 

 Bohemian Wax-wing. The nests are 

 deeply hidden among the boughs of 

 pine trees, at no great height from the 

 ground; their walls are formed of dry 

 twigs and scraps from the surrounding 

 branches, and the cavities are wide, 

 deep, and lined with blades of grass 

 and feathers. There are five eggs, 

 laid about the middle of June; the 

 shell is bluish or purplish white, 

 sprinkled with brown, black, or violet 

 spots and streaks, some of which take 

 the form of a wreath at the broad end. 

 The exquisite daintiness and softness 

 of the Wax-wing's coat can be com- 

 pared only to floss silk. 



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