142 COxNTRIBUTIONS FROM THE CHARLESTON MuSEUM. 



ssa aquatica). If these berries are plentiful the birds remain 

 during the months of January and February, but if the fruit of 

 the latter two trees is scarce the birds migrate and do not return 

 until the middle of February. Since the birds have voracious 

 appetites it does not take long for them to strip the trees of their 

 berries, especially as the Hermit Thrush and American Robin 

 also eat the fruit of these trees. The swamps are of course first 

 denuded of their fruit, as the black gum and tupelo flourish only 

 in such situations. On the return migration in February the 

 Waxwings resort to settlements where the wild orange is found 

 and quickly denude the trees of the berries. As soon as these 

 berries are exhausted the birds migrate and there is a hiatus until 

 the last few days in March, wdien they again appear and feed upon 

 cedar berries and insects. I have noted large flocks as late as 

 April 22, but by May 1, few, if any remain. My friend Mr. 

 Herbert Ravenel Sass observed small flocks of these birds in his 

 garden in Charleston as late as May 21, 1907. It must be borne 

 in mind, however, that the spring of 1907 was exceptionally late. 

 The winter of 1886 was noted for a great crop of berries and al- 

 though the weather was exceptionally severe in January, the Wax- 

 wings were observed in tremendous numbers, their ranks compris- 

 ing thousands of individuals. 



Although Mr. Leverett M. Loomis procured examples of this 

 species on Mount Pinnacle on June 22 and 26,^ and also at Cae- 

 sar's Head, June 22 and 26,^ there is no evidence that these birds 

 were breeding or even about to breed in these mountains since 

 Mr. Loomis does not speak of finding any nests. 



The Cedar Waxwing breeds from the mountains of North Car- 

 oUna northward to Hudson Bay, and winters southward to Ja- 

 maica and Central America. 



FAMILY LANIID^: SHRIKES. 



240. Lanius ludovicianus Linn. Loggerhead Shrike. 



This well-known species is a permanent resident and breeds 

 abundantly near settlements as well as in the interior of large 

 forests. The birds begin to mate by the middle of February and 

 nest building commences towards the latter part of the month. 

 During cold and blustering weather, however, which is always 

 prevalent in March, the birds do little work on their nests, in fact 



1 Auk, VII, 1890, 125. « Ibid, VIII, 1891, 329. 



