Bygone birding: the shooting (in December 1866) of a solitary waxwing on a bank of the River Medway in Kent

                                       

Letter published in the Morning Herald (London) - Thursday January 3, 1867

Bohemian waxwings

Sir - 

I see in your columns this morning a notice of a flock of Bohemian waxwings having visited Scotland, and some specimens shot. 

Now, according to all authorities I find these birds are of a gregarious nature, and never seen except in flocks. 

The bombycylla garrula cannot properly be called an English bird, although it has been seen at rare intervals on our shores, especially in very severe weather. 

My object in writing this is to state that on the 3rd December last, while watching out for snipe in the marshland on the right bank of the river Medway, near Rochester, I shot an extraordinarily fine specimen of the above bird which was quite alone, the only one near the spot.

Knowing the gregarious nature of it, I at once endeavoured to find the flock to which it belonged but without success, and I have no doubt but that this bird was quite alone. 

I find no instance in all the natural histories I have searched of such a fact as the above, all the specimens ever taken being found in a flock.

I have had the bird stuffed, and have shown it to several naturalists who admit it to be the finest specimen they ever saw.

It has one peculiarity which I do not find mentioned in any of the descriptions of this bird, that is, that the under feathers of the tail are of a bright tawny brown.

Having seen all the specimens in the British Museum I can state with confidence that my bird is much superior both in size and plumage to any there. 

The rarity of this bird and the peculiar circumstances under which it was shot induce me to write this, which I feel sure will prove interesting to all ornithologists, and which by its insertion will much oblige your obedient servant.

G.R.

Denmark Hill

South London.

January 2

 P.S - I enclose my card.