158 SINGING BIRDS. 



the young Baltimore), was his deafening and almost incessant 

 call for food. Another young bird of the first brood, probably 

 neglected, cried so loud and plaintively to a male Baltimore 

 Bird in the same tree that he commenced feeding it. Mr. 

 Winship, of Brighton, informs me that one of the young Cedar 

 Birds, who frequented the front of his house in quest of honey- 

 suckle berries, at length, on receiving food (probably also 

 abandoned by his roving parents) , threw himself wholly on his 

 protection. At large day and night, he still regularly attended 

 the dessert of the dinner-table for his portion of fruit, and re- 

 mained steadfast in his attachment to Mr. W. till killed by an 

 accident, being unfortunately trodden under foot. 



Though harmless, exceedingly gentle and artless, they make 

 some show of defence when attacked ; as a second bird which 

 I brought up, destitute of the red appendages on the wings, 

 when threatened elevated his crest, looked angry, and repeat- 

 edly snapped with his bill. 



Almost all kinds of sweet berries are sought for food by the 

 American Waxen-wing. In search of whortle-berries, they 

 retire in Pennsylvania to the western mountain-chains of the 

 Alleghany range ; and in autumn, until the approach of winter, 

 they are equally attached to the berries of the Virginia juniper, 

 as well as those of the sour-gum tree and the wax-myrtle. 

 They also feed late in the season on ripe persimmons, small 

 winter-grapes, bird-cherries, the fruit of the pride of China, 

 and other fruits. The kernels and seeds of these, uninjured by 

 the action of the stomach, are strewed about, and thus acci- 

 dentally planted in abundance wherever these birds frequent. 

 Like their prototype, the preceding species, the migrations, 

 and time and place of breeding, are influenced by their supply 

 of food. In the spring of 1831 they arrived in this vicinity as 

 usual ; but in consequence of the failure of cherries, scarcely 

 any were bred, and very few were either to be heard or seen 

 in the vicinity. In parts of New England this bird is known 

 by the name of the Canada Robin ; and by the French Cana- 

 dians it is fancifully called RecoUet, from the color of its crest 

 resembling that of the hood of this religious order. 



