THE CEDAR WAXWING OR CEDAR-BIRD 



chards in large flocks, and fill themselves with the worms 

 until they can eat no more. Such little gluttons rarely 

 can he found among birds. The Cedar-bird seems to 

 have tlie most rapid digestion of any bird with which ex- 

 periments have been made. Audubon said that Cedar- 

 birds would gorge themselves with fruit until they could 

 be taken by hand; and that he had seen wounded birds, 

 confined in a cage, eat of apples until suffocated. They 

 will stuff" themselves to the very throat. So, wherever 

 they feed, their appetites produce a visible eff'ect. Pro- 

 fessor Forbes estimates that thirty Cedar-birds will de- 

 stroy ninety thousand cankenvorms in a month. This cal- 

 culation seems to be far within bounds. 



"Cedar-birds are devoted to each other and to their 

 young. Sometimes a row of six or eight may be seen, 

 sitting close together on a limb, passing and repassing 

 from beak to beak a fat caterpillar or juicy cherry. I 

 have seen this touching courtesy but once, and believe it 

 was done not so much from politeness as from the fact 

 that most of the birds were so full that they had no room 

 for more — a condition in which they could aff"ord to be 

 generous. Neveilheless, the manner in which it was done, 

 and the simulation of tender regard and consideration 

 for each other exliibited, rendered it a sight well worth 

 seeing. They also have a habit of 'billing' or saluting 

 one another with the bill." ^ 



A flock of cedar-birds "seep" and whisper to each other 

 like over-fed children. Their note seems to be an expres- 

 sion of their gentle, aff"ectionate, comfortable, ease-loving 

 natures. There appears to be absence of aspiration or 



1 "Useful Birds and Their Protection"— E. H. Forbush, page 210. 



[49] 



