472 CHARACTERS OF AMPELIS CEDRORUM 



vety-black and white on the head imperfectly defined. Bill pale at base 

 below ; feet plumbeous. A specimen described by Brewster as a female in 

 the " first plumage " had two small wax tips; the tail narrowly tipped with 

 yellow ; a dull black loral line from nostril to eye, including anterior half 

 of both eyelids; entire under parts "brownish-buff", palest about anal re- 

 gion, deepest on throat and chin ; breast and sides thickly streaked with 

 cinnamon-brown ; upper parts duller than in the adult, with obscure "dusky- 

 buff"; "rump grayish-brown with a tinge of olive". 



Specimens apparently mature and full-feathered frequently lack the seal- 

 ing-wax tips. These are normally confined to the secondaries, but occasion- 

 ally appear on one or several primaries, and more or fewer or all of the 

 rectrices; a case is recorded in which an under tail-covert was similarly 

 embellished. Both sexes possess these ornaments, but as a rule they are 

 best developed in the male. The normal period of their appearance is not 

 known — it is probably not constant ; birds in the earliest known plumage 

 may possess one or more. They are possibly deciduous, independently of 

 moult of the feather. Their use is unknown, but surmised by some to pre- 

 vent fraying of the feathers, though other feathers not thus protected do 

 not fray more than usual. 



The sexes are not obviously different. There is comparatively little vari- 

 ation in the body-coloration, chiefly in the shade of yellow on the belly. 

 The yellow tail-band may be reduced to a mere trace. Sometimes more or 

 fewer primaries are tipped with white, and these may acquire a touch of 

 yellow, indicating approach to the normal condition of A. garrulus. In a 

 case mentioned by Mr. William Brewster, all the primaries excepting the 

 first three were broadly tipped with white, and in the centre of each white 

 spot appeared a smaller yellow one. 



AT any time of the year, in almost any part of the country, 

 one may hear some curious wheezing, lisping notes, and, 

 on looking about him, may see 

 a dozen or a hundred little birds 

 in sight, flying in an easy, rather 

 undulating course, to alight in a 

 compact body on the nearest tree, 

 where they remain silent and 

 motionless for a few moments, 

 drawn up to their full heights, 

 displaying their long top-knots ; 

 then they begin to move about 

 and feed, unless some alarm sends 

 them off to another tree. When 

 the cedar ripens its glaucous- 



FiG. 50.— The Cherry-bird, natural size. , , , . ., i • i 



blue berries, these same birds 

 are sure to be found there, gorging themselves on this fruit 

 till they are literally choke-full — the last few berries sticking 



