THE BOHEMIAN WAX- WING. 229 



nest is generally on the slope of a grassy bank, or in cliffs at no 

 great height above the sea, is composed of dry grass-stalks, and 

 lined with a few black horse-hairs. He has found nests containing 

 eggs, and others having young on the 7th of May : — a bird winch 

 he startled from her nest, feigned being hurt, evidently to draw his 

 attention thence to herself. 



At the Giant's Causeway, where these birds are particularly 

 numerous, I have been much interested, in the middle of June, 

 by observing them ascend gradually to a great height in the air, 

 uttering continuously " cheep-cheep " between each beat of the 

 wings, and then descend in perfect silence as quickly, and at 

 about the same angle, perhaps fifty degrees. The descent was 

 accomplished with motionless wing, their little breasts being shot 

 out like puff-balls. Prom my always seeing a pair of these birds 

 about the wall at the neighbouring salmon-cuts (Bush-foot), I had 

 no doubt of their having a nest in some of its apertures. 



I have remarked this species to be as common on the coasts of 

 Wigton-shire and Ayrshire, as in Ireland. 



Eichard's Pipit {Anthus Ricliardi), which has on very few 

 occasions been obtained in England, has not been seen in Scotland 

 (Jard. : Macg.) or Ireland. 



THE BOHEMIAN WAX- WING. 



Waxen Chatterer. 



Bomby cilia garrula, Linn, (sp.) 

 Ampelis garrulus, „ 



Is an occasional, but rare, winter visitant. 



Mr. Templeton has said of this bird: "Sometimes seen about 

 Belfast, but more common in Tullamore Park, county Down ; has 

 been several times'* shot in the county of Derry ;" Charlesworth's 

 Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. i. p. 405. By a veteran sporting friend, the 

 wax-wing has twice been met with in the neighbourhood of Bel- 

 fast, and in both instances in wooded glens within the district of 

 the Palls : — in the lower part of Colin glen, and at Milltown. One 

 * " Once " instead of " several times," in Mr. Templeton's MS. 



