286 BOHEMIAN WAX-WING. 



adult. These appendages are merely the colored corneous prolongation 

 of the shafts beyond the webs of the feathers. The new species from 

 J9,pan is, as we have mentioned, at all times without them, as well as 

 the young of the two others. The plumage of all is of a remarkably 

 fine and silky texture, lying extremely close ; and they are all largely 

 and pointedly crested, the sexes hardly differing in this respect. 



The Wax-wings live in numerous flocks, keeping by pairs only in the 

 breeding season, and so social in their disposition, that as soon as the 

 young are able to fly, they collect in large bands from the whole neigh- 

 borhood. They perform extensive journeys, and are great and irregular 

 wanderers. Far from being shy, they are simple and easy tamed, but 

 generally soon die in confinement. Their food consists chiefly of juicy 

 fruits, on which they fatten, but to the great detriment of the orchard, 

 where they commit extensive ravages. When fruits are scarce, they 

 seize upon insects, catching them dexterously in the same manner as 

 their distant relatives the Flycatchers. No name could be more inap- 

 propriate for these birds than that of Chatterers, as there are few less 

 noisy, and they might even be called mute, with much better reason. 

 They build in trees, and lay twice in a year about five eggs. 



Whence does the Bohemian Wax-wing come at the long and irregular 

 periods of its migrations ? Whither does it retire to pass its existence 

 and give birth to its progeny ? These are circumstances involved in 

 darkness, and which it has not been given to any naturalist to ascertain. 

 It has been stated, and with much appearance of probability, that these 

 birds retire during summer within the Arctic circle ; but the fact is 

 otherwise, naturalists who have explored these regions asserting that 

 they are rarer and more accidental there than in temperate climates. 

 It seems probable that their chief place of abode is in the oriental 

 parts of the old continent, and if we may hazard an opinion, we should 

 not be surprised if the extensive and elevated table land of central Asia 

 was found to be their principal rendezvous, whence like the Tartars in 

 former times, they make their irregular excursions. 



As we can only arrive at the truth in this matter, by observing facts, 

 and collecting localities, we shall endeavor to do this with the greatest 

 accuracy. In northern Russia and the extreme north of Norway they 

 are seen in great numbers every winter, being observed there earlier 

 than in temperate countries. In northern Asia and eastern Europe 

 their migrations are tolerably regular, very numerous flocks generally 

 pass through Scania in November, and are again seen on their return in 

 the spring. But they appear only at very remote and irregular periods, 

 and merely as occasional and rare visitants in western, southern, or 

 even central and northern Europe, and then only in the coldest months 

 of the most severe winters. Notwithstanding that they at times invade 

 peculiar districts in vast numbers, so remarkable is the appearance of 



