AVAXWING. 
73 
bird I have not seen before. I was quite close to him, and had no doubt.” Mr. 
>«. L. Calcraft observes that a few pairs arrive to breed in Rutland every spring. 
Family AMPELID^. 
WAXWIXGr. Ampelis garrulws, Linnteus. 
“ Bohemian Waxwing.” 
A rare winter visitant, but not remaining to breed in Britain. — Harley stated 
that it appeared in the year 1827 in small parties of three and four individuals 
in a group, and again in the fall of 1835-36, when it became partially dispersed 
over the county, especially in the more wooded parts. During the winter of 
1850-1 it was again pretty plentiful, and numbers were shot in various parts 
of the county. He particularly mentions one, probably fully adult, which was 
shot at Swannington, and which he describes as havdng “ the barbs of the 
tail-feathers literally terminated with a wax-like substance of a bright vermilion 
colour, the same in substance which we find attached to the wing of this species.” 
He adds that it appeared to feed chiefly on the fruit of the mountain-ash (Pyrus 
aucuparia, Glaertn.), the berries of the elder, and the fruit of the hawthorn. 
The ‘ Zoologist,’ 1850, p. 2770, records the following : — “ Occurrence of the 
Waxwing in Leicestershire. Xo less than six specimens of the Bohemian 
Waxwing have been shot in our county on the 1st January * last ; one was shot 
in the parish of Stony Stanton, it is now in the possession of Henry Townsend, 
Esq., of that place : another at Claybrook, and three more near Bagworth. I 
also saw one that was shot at Belgrave, not distant more than one mile from 
Leicester ; it was stuffed by Mr. Eld, of this town, and from what I can ascertain, 
all have been shot within a short time of each other during the severe weather 
we had in January. — William Bond; Frog Island, Leicester. March 15th, 1850.” 
Mr. Macaulay wrote (‘ 31id. Xat.,’ 1882, p. 63) : — “ I am informed by Mr. 
Bickley, of Melton Mowbray, whose late brother presented the collection of 
birds bearing his name to the Leicester Museum, that the specimen of this 
bird in that collection was shot near Melton iSIowbray,” and no doubt this is 
the case, for the late !Mr. R. Widdowson wrote me : — “ I shot one myself some 
years ago, near ^Melton, and have had three or four since.” Mr. J. C. Bassett, 
of Ullesthorpe, writes me that one in his possession was shot at Arnesby, 
about 1870, by Mr. S. Horton. One was shot at Belgi’ave about 1878-9, so 
Turner informs me. Mr. H. A. Payne, of Enville, and a friend, watched a 
pair for a long time near Bradgate House, in the summer of 1883, and in 
connection with this it is singular that one was shot at Ansty (close to Bradgate), 
at Christmas of the same year, by Mr. Alfred Wm. Matts. I saw, in December, 
’ Probably meaning during the month of January. 
