BOHEMIAN WAXWING. 355 
fruits are scarce, they seize upon insects, catching them dex- 
terously in the same manner as their distant relatives the fly- 
catchers. No name could be more inappropriate 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 eges. 
Whence does the Bohemian waxwing 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 assert- 
ing 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 oid continent, and, if 
we may hazard an opinion, we should not be surprised if the 
extensive and elevated tableland of Central Asia were 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 ob- 
serving facts and collecting localities, we shall endeavour 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 mi- 
erations 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 these winged strangers then considered, 
