774 
IRRUPTION OF WAXWINGS INTO NORFOLK. 
Belgium, where Mr. Coopman found them “ venant meme 
voleter sur lgs boulevards de la ville de Verviers, tels des 
etourneaux familiers ” (Rev. Fran. d’Orn., 1914, p. 327), and 
it is evident that that habit is general. Tameness, however, 
is a characteristic of the Waxwing in its native country, and I 
remember, too, remarking it in some which were in confinement. 
Their fondness for drinking is also a trait which will not fail 
to be noticed ; house gutters were made use of by the little 
flock of five or six which frequented Earlham Road, and the 
river brink by a pair at Trowse Bridge. 
It is difficult to say how many Waxwings really came to 
Norfolk, but certainly the presence of at least a hundred 
and eight was announced. Fortunately most of them were 
seen (not shot) by observers who were content to spare 
them, so very likely a few were counted twice over. The 
last announcement of their presence received from Norfolk was 
from Mr. Russell Colman, who ascertained that the survivor 
of a pair which were located on some hawthorns near Trowse 
Bridge at the beginning of March remained there until April 
5th, 1914. Mr. Colman employed a man to watch it, but it 
was not seen later than that, and must have either died or 
migrated. Many Waxwings were also seen in the north of 
Suffolk, and their presence registered by Mr. C. B. Ticehurst, 
Mr. Saunders, and others who were looking out. Undoubtedly 
the total for the two counties exceeded anything since the 
Waxwing winter of 1866-7, when Henry Stevenson reckoned 
up a hundred and forty-four specimens (Trans., N. & N. Nat. 
Soc., Vol. III., p. 326). But even that visitation cannot 
have been so great as the big rush in the winter of 1849-50, 
the earliest irruption of which any complete record is pre- 
served. This time the front of the Waxwing army has left 
its mark over the greater part of Western Europe, certainly 
from Norway to the South of France (I heard of some near 
Hyferes), throughout Belgium and Holland ( see “ Le Gerfaut," 
1914, p. 74), and in many parts of Germany. 
To what cause are we to turn for so universal an irruption ? 
In all probability there had been one or more unusually prolific 
