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CASSELL'S BOOK OF BIRDS. 



THE EUROPEAN OR COMMON SILK-TAIL. 



The European or Common Silk-tail, Bohemian Chatterer, or Wax-wing (BombycLla 

 garrula) is eight inches long and thirteen and a half broad. The plumage is almost entirely reddish 

 grey, darkest upon the back, and shading into greyish white beneath ; the brow and rump are reddish 

 brown ; the chin, throat, bridles, and a streak over the eyes black ; the primary quills are greyish 

 black, spotted with gold on the tip of the outer, and edged with white upon the inner web ; the 

 secondaries are furnished with parchment-like or horny plates at their extremities, which are bright 

 red ; the tail-feathers are blackish at their lower portion, light yellow towards their extremities, and 

 terminate in horny plates, resembling those upon the secondary quills. In the female the colours are 

 fainter, and the horny appendages much less developed than in the plumage of her mate. The 



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THE COLLARED OR WHITE-NECKED FLY-CATCHER (Muscicapa alb:collis). 



young are almost entirely dark brown, with light edges to many of the feathers ; the brows and a 

 stripe that passes from the eyes to the back of the head, a streak across the light reddish yellow 

 throat and the rump are whitish, while the lower tail-covers are of a dusky rust-red. 



The Common Silk-tail is an inhabitant both of Northern Europe and of North America, but 

 is found only occasionally in some parts of Asia, being replaced in that continent by its Japanese 

 congener, the Bomby cilia phomicoptera ; while in America the Cedar Bird (Bombycilla cedrorum) is 

 more numerously met with. In the northern portions of Europe, birch and pine forests constitute its 

 favourite 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. Even in Russia, Poland, and Southern 

 Scandinavia it is constantly to be seen throughout the entire winter ; 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. Like most 



