February 



quite as they were before. It is the magic 

 sound of the earliest song sparrow that strikes 

 the first blow at winter's fetters, and ever after 

 hope will blossom on amid the snow and ice. 



Later came a flock of cedar-birds, also called 

 cherry-birds and wax-wings, an unusually at- 

 tractive specimen, although not brilliantly at- 

 tired. Its head is conspicuously crested, the 

 whole body of a soft and rich light-brown color, 

 and its form is particularly graceful. The tip 

 of the tail is yellow, and the name of wax-wing 

 is due to the presence on the wings and some- 

 times on the tail of small appendages resem- 

 bling bits of red sealing-wax in mature speci- 

 mens. It is not known what purpose this 

 peculiarity serves, but it is hazardous to affirm 

 that it is merely an ornamental excrescence. It 

 winters and summers throughout the United 

 States, although retiring somewhat to the south 

 in cold weather. 



There are only three species of wax-wings in 

 the world, two of them in North America, the 

 third in Japan. The other North American 

 species is called the Bohemian or Northern wax- 

 wing. Its southern boundary about coincides 

 with the northern tier of States, and, except that 

 it is slightly larger than the other (our own be- 



63 



