150 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



Netherlands ; they became very tame, and are very 

 engaging pets, in motion the whole day long, often 

 hanging head downwards from the top of their cage, 

 and crowding together closely at dusk on the same 

 perch. I found this species in Albania, but have 

 not met with it elsewhere out of England, though 

 it is not uncommon in several parts of Europe, and 

 is well known in one or two localities in the east of 

 Spain. From the nature of its usual haunts, the 

 Bearded Titmouse during the summer months is 

 much more often to be heard than seen, and its note 

 once heard can never be mistaken for that of any 

 other European bird. 



64. WAXWING. 



Ampelis garridus. 



Of this beautiful bird in its wild state I know 

 nothing from personal observation, and therefore 

 cannot do better than recommend those who may 

 be interested in its habits to read the article headed 

 " Waxwing " in the fourth edition of Yarrell's ' British 

 Birds.' A winter seldom passes without a record of 

 the occurrence of this species in some part of England, 

 most frequently in the eastern counties ; and on 

 several occasions it has visited our Islands in very 

 large numbers : in the winter of 1849-50, for in- 

 stance, " it appears that 586 examples were recorded 

 in the ' Zoologist ' as occurring between November 

 and March, nearly half of them in the second and 

 third weeks of January." Perhaps the most remark- 

 able fact with regard to the Waxwing is that, although 

 the bird had been known in this country and in most 



