Bill short, depressed, rather weak, triangular when viewed from above, compressed at the end, its upper outline arched, the gape-line nearly straight, the notches very small, the tip very small and declinate. Nostrils elliptical, partially concealed by reversed bristly feathers. Head ovate; neck short; body moderate or full. Feet short; tarsus short, rather stout, compressed; toes rather small. Claws rather long, arched, much compressed, acute. Plumage generally blended and glossy. Wings of moderate length, broad. Tail short or of moderate length. Roof of upper mandible rather concave, with three longitudinal ridges; tongue horny, deeply slit; œsophagus very wide, dilated about the middle; stomach small, elliptical, moderately muscular; intestine of moderate length and very wide; cœca very small. Trachea simple, with four pairs of very small inferior laryngeal muscles.
GENUS I. BOMBYCILLA, Briss. WAXWING.
Bill short, rather stout, straightish, broader than high at the base, compressed towards the end; upper mandible with its dorsal line convex and declinate towards the tip, which is deflected, narrow, and rather acute, its sides convex, the edges sharp and overlapping, the notches distinct; lower mandible with the angle short and wide, the dorsal line convex and ascending, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip very small, acute, ascending, with a small sinus behind; gape-line nearly straight. Nostrils oval, partially concealed by the reversed stiffish feathers. Head of ordinary size, ovate; neck short; body full. Feet rather short; tarsus short, rather stout, compressed, with six scutella; toes of moderate size, first stout, broad beneath, outer slightly adherent at the base; inner a little shorter. Claws rather long, arched, much compressed, very acute. Plumage blended, very soft, somewhat silky, but with little gloss; head tufted; no bristles. Wings rather long, broad, and pointed, the first quill longest. Tail of moderate length, even. This genus is remarkable for the oblong bright red horny appendages to the tips of the wings and tail-feathers, which, however, are not seen in all the species. Roof of upper mandible slightly concave, with three ridges; tongue triangular, concave, horny, deep slit, with two slender points; œsophagus very wide, much dilated about the middle; stomach rather small, elliptical, muscular; intestine short and extremely wide; cœca very small.
245. 1. Bombycilla garrula, Vieill. Black-throated Waxwing.—Bohemian Chatterer.
Plate CCCLXIII. Male and Female.
General colour light greyish-brown, passing behind in ash-grey, before into brownish-orange, of which colour are the forehead, a patch on each side of the throat near the base of the bill, and the feathers under the tail; a band of deep black from the nasal membrane over the eye to the top of the head, where it is concealed by the crest; feathers at the base of the lower mandible and a narrow streak below the eye, white; upper part of throat deep black; feathers of the wings greyish-black; primary coverts largely tipped with white; primary quills with a bright yellow, secondary with a white elongated spot at the end of the outer web, and tipped with oblong wax-red appendages; tail light grey at the base, gradually shaded into deep black, with a broad band of bright yellow. Female similar to the male, but somewhat smaller. Oblong waxen appendages to the secondary quills, varying from seven to three, sometimes wanting, especially in young birds; males with the shafts of the tail-feathers very slightly enlarged at the end, and bright red. Carefully compared with European specimens.
Male, 93/4, 161/4.
From New York, eastward and northward, to the Fur Countries.
Bombycilla garrula, European Chatterer, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 237.
Bombycilla garrula, Bonap. Syn. p. 438.
Bombycilla garrula, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. iii. pl. 16.
European Waxen Chatterer, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 579.
Bohemian Chatterer, Bombycilla garrula, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 462.
246. 2. Bombycilla Carolinensis, Briss. Cedar Waxwing.—Cedar Bird.