CEDAR WAXWING 91 



to the various berries on ornamental bushes in gardens, such as 

 Pyracantha, Cotoneaster^ and Eugenia. Many times I have also seen 

 waxwings eating from persimmons and apples allowed to remain on 

 the trees until overripe. Outside the city, they feed on toyon, mistle- 

 toe, coffeeberries, the fruits of the sycamore tree, and wild grapes in 

 the lowland willow regions." 



Mr. Du Bois (MS.) watched some cedar waxwings that "were feed- 

 ing on geometrid caterpillars, which were defoliating the trees. They 

 picked the caterpillars from the leaves, and sometimes they struck 

 them against a twdg or branch before eating them. They were par- 

 ticular to wipe their bills on the branch after eating. Sometimes a 

 bird would make a little fluttering jump to get the caterpillar, or oc- 

 casionally would taken one in midair. One bird flew out from a branch 

 and seized a caterpillar that v\'as hanging by a gossamer thread several 

 feet away. He lighted on a branch, with the caterpillar in his bill, 

 before eating it." 



Behavior. — One of the most conspicuous features in the behavior 

 of the cedarbird is its tameness. Albert W. Honywill, Jr. (1911), 

 gives a striking instance of this trait in a wild bird he met in Minne- 

 sota : "On Aug. 4, 1008, four young birds were found that were not 

 quite able to fly. While arranging them to be photographed one 

 of the old birds came and fed them. The old birds appeared to be 

 fearless, and fed the young ones blueberries and wild cherries w^hile I 

 held them enclosed in my hands, and even tried to get to their young 

 when I pushed them gently aside." 



There are several records showing how readily the young birds 

 adapt themselves to confinement. As an example, Mrs. E. A. Matte- 

 son (1924) says of a fledgling waxwing, injured soon after leaving 

 the nest : 



He became the joy of the houseliold. He was given a large, roomy cage, with 

 the door left open by day. * * * Very soon he began to sit on a paper in . 

 my friend's lap, nnthread the machine when she sewed, peep into the work- 

 basket to pull bits of threads, snap his bill quite sharply and pick at one to 

 assert his rights, and, in his playful mood, when one tells him to dance he 

 prances all along the perch with wings drooped, with a very graceful movement 

 of the head and his crest erect. * * * He will hop upon the slioulder of 

 the master of the house and drink milk from a spoon. He is perfectly happy, 

 will pass an open window never thinking of going out — in fact, is afraid of 

 the outside world. * * « Dandy is a little over eight years of age, and 

 still active and bright. 



Alexander Wilson (Wilson and Bonaparte, 1832), in his inimitable 

 manner, points out the indifference with which the cedarbird regards 

 a scarecrow : "Nor are they easily intimidated by the presence of Mr. 

 Scarecrow ; for I have seen a flock deliberately feasting on the fruit of 

 a loaded cherry tree, while on the same tree one of these guardian 

 angels.^ and a very formidable one too, stretched his stiffened arms, 



