9 
We are told by Professor A. Newton that Baron von Konig-Warthausen went to the trouble of 
caging an entire flock, in hopes of thus getting some eggs, but without success. ‘The Swedish 
naturalists were the first to point out the localities where the nest was subsequently found; but 
none of them succeeded in throwing any definite light on the question of its mode of nidification, 
Nilsson, writing shortly before the discovery of the breeding of this species, says that “it is now 
quite certain that it breeds in the dense conifer-woods of Lapland. Mr. W. von Wright, when 
travelling in 1832 in Lapland, found the Waxwing very numerous during the breeding-season, in 
about 67° 20’ N. lat.; and at Ketkesuando, in 68° 11’, they were still more numerous: specimens 
shot at Palajoki, in 68° 20’, at midsummer, showed that the breeding-season was then at hand. 
Mr. von Seth, who travelled in Lapland in 1842, informed me that the Waxwing was observed 
near Gellivara, in the swampy wooded districts, and that he believed it to be commoner in the 
east, and to come from Finland. Pastor Bjorkman stated that once when he was lying quite 
quietly on an island a Waxwing came and crept into a hollow fallen tree, in which he found 
three greyish, finely spotted eggs, which, he states, resembled those of the Fieldfare. ‘The 
Friherre C. G. Lovenhjelm, who travelled in Norrland and Lulea Lapland in 1843, was informed 
that it was found at Jockmock and Gellivara; and he was also told by Pastor Bjorkman that he 
had on two occasions found the nest in the hole of a tree, that the nest was constructed of 
straws, feathers, and reindeer-hair, that in the one (as above stated) he found three eggs, which 
were bluish white, marked with black spots and lines, and in the other six or seven small 
young birds.” 
The first naturalist who succeeded in obtaining authentic eggs of this species was the well- 
known oologist the late Mr. J. Wolley, who of all men, considering his unwearied energy and 
perseverance, was the most worthy to have succeeded where so many of the Scandinavian 
naturalists failed. Following the track pointed out by those gentlemen, and relying on their 
trustworthiness in matters of detail, Mr. Wolley persevered, trusting to the remote chance of one 
day discovering the long-sought-for eggs of this bird, until, in 1856, his Lapp collectors succeeded 
in finding an undoubted nest of the Waxwing. I cannot do better than transcribe the excellent 
account of this discovery published by Professor A. Newton in ‘The Ibis’ (1861, p. 94), as 
follows :— 
“The first intimation I received from Mr. Wolley that the discovery was accomplished was 
contained in a letter written by him on his way up the Baltic, and dated 2nd September, 1856. 
He says, ‘Let me tell you now, whilst I think of it, that I have some reason for believing that 
the Waxwing makes its nest in good-sized fir-trees in the month of June. I give you this hint 
in case I should not live to give you more certain information; but you remember that I am not 
to return home without a Waxwing’s nest in my hand.’ He had, in fact, a few days before, 
when at Stockholm, received from his faithful Ludwig a letter telling him of the discovery, in 
which Ludwig had himself assisted, and respecting the truth of which he said, his ‘ Master must 
be quite sure—without doubt.’ Mr. Wolley, however, forbore to allow his own or my expecta- 
tions to be raised too highly; and in spite of his receiving confirmatory evidence on his arrival at 
Haparanda and on his way up the river, it was not until he had reached Muoniovara, and had 
satisfied himself by repeated investigation of the whole story, that he trusted himself to write to 
me positively. His letter, dated ‘Muniovara, 14 Sept. 1856,’ after describing his own doings 
AF 
437 
