220 NEHKASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the Pellucid Grasshopper. Beetles (twenty-two per cent) come 

 next in importance, and unfortunately a large portion of these 

 (nine per cent) are useful forms, mostly Carabldae: the remain- 

 ing thirteen per cent of beetles devoured are of considerable 

 variety and of varying importance from the dung-beetles and 

 carrion-beetles to the weevils, click-beetles, May-beetles and 

 wood-boring beetles. Caterpillars (four per cent) are relished 

 and include canker-worms, cut- worms and bristly caterpillars. 

 Wasps, ants, crane-flies, may-flies, dragon-flies and true bugs 

 together form three per cent, spiders form four per cent. The 

 young are fed principally on grasshoppers, beetles and cater- 

 pillars. 



It is thus evident that the food habits of the smaller species, 

 the Migrant and White-rumped Shrikes, are even more benefi- 

 cial than those of the Northern, and that the bird is full worthy 

 of protection. 



THE WAXWINGS. 



( Ampelis garrulus and Ampelis cedrorum.) 



Our Waxwings, like our Shrikes, are represented by distinct 

 species in winter and in summer. At the former season we 

 can expect occasional flocks of the Bohemian Waxwing to de- 

 scend upon us from the frozen north, remaining only until the 

 conditions are such that they may return. The Cedar Waxwing, 

 however, not only braves the winter in small numbers with us, 

 but as spring comes on, passes through in large flocks and re- 

 mains until summer approaches, when the majority retire north 

 of us to nest, returning early in the fall. Both of these birds 

 are of a rich brown color, conspicuously crested and with a 

 dark, broadly yellow-tipped tail. The Bohemian Waxwing has 

 white wing-bars and chestnut under tail-coverts while the 

 Cedar Waxwing has wholly dark wings and white under tail- 

 coverts. By these signs ye may know them. 



Considering the scarcity and irregular occurence of the 

 northern species it is evident that it can afl'ect us but very little 

 economically; all the more so since its food consists almost en- 

 tirely of wild fruits and berries of various kinds. But with the 

 Cedar Waxwing it is different, and an extended account of the 

 food of this species is preferable, especially since its reputed 



