him pleasure. He might exhibit a nbst and eggs at the same
time with a pair of birds in breeding plumage to the Zoological
Society.” In the meanwhile however the Author of this
work had passed away, and the privilege of exhibiting the
specimens devolved upon the Editor’s brother, Mr. Edward
Newton, who took charge of them at the meeting of that
Society, when as before mentioned Wolley’s communication
was read.
This was subsequently printed in the Society’s “ Proceedings”
(1857, pp. 55, 56), and the most important part is
as follows :—“ The Waxwing, as observed in Lapland, makes
a good-sized and substantial nest, but without much indication
of advanced art. I t is of some depth, and regularly shaped,
though built of rather intractable materials. As in those of
many other birds in the Arctic forests, the main substance is
of the kind of lichen commonly called tree-hair, which hangs
so abundantly from the branches of almost every tree. This
lichen somewhat resembles a mass of delicate rootlets, or
perhaps may be compared to coarse brown wool; but some of
it is whitish, and in one nest there is a little of this mixed
with the ordinary brown or black. This main substance of
the nest is strengthened below by a platform of dead twigs, and
higher up towards the interior by a greater or less amount of
flowering stalks of grass, and occasionally pieces of equisetum.
I t is also interspersed with a little rein-deer lichen, perhaps a
sprig or two of green moss, and even some pieces of willow
cotton. There may also be observed a little of the very fine
silvery-looking fibre of grass leaves which probably have been
reduced to that condition by long soaking in water. In one
of the nests examined there were several pen-feathers of
small birds as an apology for a lining.
“ The nest of the Waxwing is built on the branch of a
tree, not near the bole,* and rather, as one of the observers
has said, standing up from the branch like a Fieldfare’s or
other Thrush’s nest, than supported by twigs touching it at
* The specimen here figured (page 537), the most perfect seen by the Editor,
is however placed close to the bole of a young Scotch fir. I t was taken in
Finnish Lapland in 1861, and is now in the Cambridge Museum.
the sides, as the nests of many birds are supported. Of
six nests, four were in small Spruces, one in a good-sized
Scotch fir, and one in a Birch—all placed at a height of
from 6 to 12 feet above the ground. The tree in several
instances was unhealthy, thin and scraggy in its branches,
to which there hung a good deal of hair lichen; and the
nest seems generally much exposed, though from its resemblance
to the lichen hanging near, it might escape the eye.
The nests found were in parts of the forest considerably
open, once or twice on the side of low hills, near a river, or
with an undergrowth of dwarf swamp-loving shrubs. But
at present we have scarcely enough examples to show that
there is a preference for any particular kind of ground.”
I n th e s um m e r o f 1857 th e W a xw in g se em s to h a v e b e e n
s till m o re r a re ly d is tr ib u te d in L a p la n d th a n i t h a d b e e n in
th e p re c e d in g y e a r . W o lle y , in s p ite o f ev e ry e x e r tio n , Avas
u n a b le to s e t ey e s on a liv in g b ird . I n v a in h e w a n d e re d
th r o u g h th e Avoods a n d sc a rc e ly s le p t. H e to o k a n e s t
w h ic h h a d b e e n fo rs a k e n a d a y o r tAvo b e fo re , b u t i t s eg g s
b y som e unknoAvn m e a n s h a d b e e n d e s tro y e d so f a s t a s th e y
Avere la id . H i s a rm y o f c o lle c to rs g o t for h im o n ly e ig h t
e g g s— a n e s t o f five ta k e n o n a n is la n d a t th e m o u th o f th e
K em i r iv e r h a v in g b e e n in te r c e p te d b y a F in n i s h tr a v e lle r
to AA'hom th e fin d e r so ld i t fo r th e M u s e um a t H e ls in g fo r s .
B u t in 1858 th e s ta te o f th in g s Avas v e ry d iffe re n t. A n
e n o rm o u s n um b e r o f WaxAvings s e ttle d for th e b re e d in g -
s e a so n th r o u g h o u t th e g r e a te r p a r t o f th e d is tr ic t w h ic h h a d
h i th e r to b e e n th e sc e n e o f W o lle y ’s r e s e a rc h e s , a n d h is
c o lle c to rs fo u n d n e a r ly 150 n e s ts p ro d u c in g no feAver th a n
6 6 6 e g g s , w h ile a b o u t a sc o re m o re w e re o b ta in e d b y a
P r u s s i a n d e a le r aaT lo h a p p e n e d th a t y e a r to b e in th e
c o u n try . T h is s am e s um m e r saw a n E n g lis hm a n a c com p
lis h w h a t W o lle y o n ly p a r tia lly su c c e ed ed in d o in g . M r.
D r e s s e r fo u n d a sm a ll co lo n y o f W a xw in g s on a n is la n d in
th e B a ltic n e a r U le a b o rg , w h ic h p r io r in fo rm a tio n Avould
h a v e le d a n y o n e to su p p o s e Avas b ey o n d th e b r e e d in g -r a n g e
o f th e sp e c ie s , a n d Avith h is own h a n d s to o k a n e s t, a n e g g
a n d tAvo y o u n g b ird s . I n 1859, th e W a xw in g b re d , b u t n o t
m w rn a iin n wmw. **»