THE CEDAR-BIRD. 63 



fall, associating in flocks of considerable size, moving 

 about in a compact body, and alighting in such num- 

 bers and so closely together, as almost to touch each 

 other. Now is the sportsman's opportunity, as a 

 dozen or more may be brought down at one shot, but 

 so soon as they commence to disperse over the tree, 

 which they do almost immediately, they become 

 restless, and are more difficult to kill. At these sea- 

 sons of the year their appetites are so voracious as to 

 lead them to devour almost everything in the shape 

 of fruit which comes in their way ; hence they be- 

 come very fat, and are considered as excellent eat- 

 ing, large numbers being exposed in our markets 

 for sale. 



It is a singular fact that the Cedar-bird, although 

 one of the earliest of our visitors, is probably the last 

 to commence the important business of incubation, 

 thousands of young birds of other species having left 

 their nests before it has begun to build. They seem 

 also to have less regard for the safety of their young 

 than most birds, as the nest is placed in a low hori- 

 zontal branch of an apple-tree ; and when approached 

 the bird flies off without any manifestation of con- 

 cern. 



We should scarcely be doing our readers justice, 

 were we to omit noticing another family of quiet 

 little birds which are the farmer's special friends. 

 Of these the White-breasted Nuthatch is probably 

 the most familiar representative in the Middle States. 

 It is a social and familiar species, frequenting the 

 garden and orchard, and even the house-top, where 



