WAXEN CHATTERER. 
247 
Rocky Mountains, in the month of March, is of common 
occurrence, as a passenger throughout the colder regions 
of the whole northern hemisphere. Like our Cedar 
Birds, they associate in numerous flocks, pairing only 
for the breeding season ; after which the young and old 
give way to their gregarious habits, and collecting in nu- 
merous companies, they perform extensive journeys, and 
are extremely remarkable for their great and irregular 
wanderings. The circumstances of incubation in this 
species are wholly unknown. It is supposed that they re- 
tire to the remote northern regions to breed, yet in Nor- 
way, they are only birds of passage, and it has been con- 
jectured that they pass the summer in the elevated table 
land of central Asia. Wherever they dwell at this season, 
it is certain that in spring, and late autumn, they visit 
northern Asia or Siberia, and eastern Europe in vast 
numbers, but are elsewhere only uncertain stragglers, 
whose appearance, at different times, has been looked 
upon as ominous of some disaster by the credulous and 
ignorant. 
The Waxen Chatterers, like our common Cedar Birds, 
appear destitute of song, and only lisp to each other their 
usual low reiterated call of ze ze re, which becomes more 
audible when they are disturbed, and as they take to 
wing. They are also very sociable and affectionate to 
their whole fraternity, and sit in rows often on the same 
branch, when not employed in collecting their food, 
which is said to consist of juicy fruits of various kinds, 
particularly grapes ; they will also eat juniper and laurel 
berries, as well as apples, currants, and figs, and are often 
seen to drink. 
Length 8 J inches ; alar extent about 15. Anterior part of the head 
bay, passing posteriorly into reddish drab # which is the prevailing 
color above as well as on the breast. Lower part of the back and rump 
