Jansy Mello cites VN in connection with nail-paring and Pale Fire: ‘Actually, I never liked "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man". I find it a feeble and garrulous book. The phrase you quote is an unpleasant coincidence."

Odd, then, that he should employ the word ‘garrulous’: the French for ‘waxwing’ is ‘jaseur’.

Best wishes, Penny McC.