the whole neighbourhood. They perform extensive journeys, and 
are great and irregular wanderers. Far from being shy, they are 
simple and easily tamed, but generally soon die in confinement. 
Their food consists chiefly of juicy fruits, on which they fatten, 
but to the great detriment of the orchard, where they commit 
extensive ravages. When fruits are scarce, they seize upon 
insects, catching them dexterously in the same manner as their 
distant relatives the Flycatchers. 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 eggs. 
Whence does the Bohemian Wax-wing 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, natu¬ 
ralists who have explored these regions asserting 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 old continent, and if we may hazard an opinion, we 
should not be surprised if the extensive and elevated table 
land of central Asia was found to be their principal rendezvous, 
whence like the Tartars in former times, they make their irre¬ 
gular excursions. 
As we can only arrive at the truth in this matter, by observing 
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 
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