A Family of Cedar W^ax-Wings 



ly silent while the old birds are away. Occa- 

 sionally, mistaking a bird that flits by for one 

 of their parents, the young start begging for 

 food, but quickly appreciate their mistake and 

 subside. 



The old wax-wings, returning from forag- 

 ing, usually carry several berries in the crop, 

 in addition to one in the beak. When a rasp- 

 berry is stuffed down a gaping beak, behold, 

 another one appears, and is held a moment 

 tentatively before being fed to the next in 

 turn of the progeny. No amount of stuffing 

 satisfies the hungry youngsters, which, flap- 

 ping their wings, beg in the beseeching way 

 natural to young birds. 



The near presence of an unobtrusive visitor 

 does not deter cedar wax-wings from proceed- 

 ing with their home duties. After the first 

 day which was necessarily spent gaining the 

 acquaintance of the present family, many sat- 

 isfactory photographs were secured without 



15 



