black markings. In flight the two outer tail 

 feathers show much white. The hind toe-nail is 

 much elongated, from which feature comes the 

 name. 



*15. BOHEMIAN WAXWING: CHATTER- 

 ER: NORTHERN WAXWING (Bombycilla 

 garrula). An irregular, tliouyh at times, abund- 

 ant, visitor from the north. They sometimes ap- 

 pear in such numbers that the winter is remem- 

 bered as a "waxwing year," as, at Minneapolis, in 

 the winters of 1874-1875 and 1879-1880, when 

 many large flocks remained about the city for 

 several weeks. Their erratic and uncertain move- 

 ments have won for them the name Bohemian. 



The Chatterer may be looked for in Southern 

 Minnesota from Nov. IS to Dec. 15, and may re- 

 main until the middle or latter part of April 

 (Minneapolis, April 25, 1876; April 12, 1877; April 

 14, 1880.) It sometimes appears in abundance in 

 March and April when it has not been seen dur- 

 ing the previous winter. 



They associate in flocks, often of large size, and 

 during their sojourn here live not uncommonly 

 about our cities and towns, being quite tame and 

 unsuspicious. Their beautiful crests and rich 

 smooth plumage give them a jaunty, trim appear- 

 ance which has brought them into more general 

 notice, perhaps, than any other one of our winter 

 birds. The resemblance between the Northern 

 Waxwing and the common Cedar or Cherry Bird 

 is very close, but they may be distinguished by 

 the greater size and darker color of the former, 

 and the fact that it has considerable white and 

 often some yellow markings on the wing, that 

 are wanting in the Cedarbird. Some individuals 

 of both species have dark red wax-like append- 

 ages on the tips of the inner wing feathers and 

 occasionally on the tail feathers. This adorn- 

 ment on the wings of the Northern Waxwing in 

 contrast with the white and yellow markings im- 

 parts a specially rich and beautiful appearance. 

 The two species may sometimes be seen in early 

 spring associating together in the same flock. 



The food of the northern birds while here con- 

 sists of mountain ash berries, wild grapes, smilax 

 berries, wolf-berries, high-bush cranberries, de- 

 cayed fruits and other refuse vegetable matter 

 that may be thrown out where they can get it. 

 But as spring opens, their food becomes largely 

 insectivorous and their habits accordingly under- 

 go a marked change. They are no longer so 

 familiar or such frequent visitors to back yards 

 and alleyways; but are instead rnuch more re- 

 tiring and refined in habits. They capture the 

 insects on the wing in the manner of Flycatchers 

 and a whole flock may often be seen thus en- 

 gaged for an hour or more at a time. Stomacii 

 examinations have shown that the insects thus 

 taken consist mainlv of minute beetles, thousands 



of which must appear in the air with the disap- 

 pearance of the snow. 



*16. GREAT NORTHERN SHRIKE: 

 BUTCHER BIRD (Lanius boreaHs). In the 

 northern three-fourths of the state seen chiefly 

 during the fall and spring migrations, but in the 

 southern tiers of counties remains quite regularly 

 throughout the winter though only in moderate 

 numbers. In the winter season it lives upon 

 mice and small birds, among the latter a goodly 

 number of that pest, the English Sparrow. The 

 Butcher-bird has a loud whistled call and with the 

 advent of spring a remarkable "cutbird-like" song 

 that is unexpected from a bird of such hawk-like 

 and predaceous character. 



Its colors are black, white and gray and it has 

 a strong hooked bill, but its feet are weak so 

 that it has to impale its prey upon suitable 

 "hooks" in order to tear it to pieces. 



HALF-HARDY SPECIES. 



The birds included in this subdivision might 

 perhaps be distributed under the two previous 

 headings. But they are grouped here to indi- 

 cate that they are not really hardy winter birds 

 in Minnesota, their continued presence during the 

 cold season being determined by the character 

 of the weather. Long continued, severe cold 

 forces them from the state or results in their dis- 

 appearance by death. . For example, the Brown 

 '^reeper was fairly common in Hennepin counrv 

 during the early part of the winter of 1912-1913, 

 but later during an intense and continued cold 

 spell many were found dead and no more 

 were seen the rest of the winter. If food 

 is abundant, all the following species can survive 

 short spells of even intense cold but they are 

 not truly hardy birds. Sheltered places in the 

 extreme southeastern part of the state are wliere 

 they are most commonly to be found. With the 

 exception of the Tree Sparrow they all breed 

 within the state and so when they remain 

 throughout mild winters, as .they frequently do, 

 they are permanent residents. 



*1. RED-TAILED HAWK: HEN HAWK 

 (Buteo borealis borealis). Uncommon in the 

 winter time, but after a week of mild weather 

 in January or February it may sometimes be seen 

 in the southern part of the state, sailing about in 

 leisurely circles. 



Of large size, nearly two feet long, with rufous- 

 red tail barred with black and white at end. .\ 

 nearly white form called Krider's Hawk, and a 

 nearly black phase called Harlan's Hawk, occur 

 in the state, the latter very rarely. There are no 

 winter records for either of these "sub-species." 



*2. PRAIRIE HORNED LARK (Otocoris 

 alpestris praticola). When the winter in South- 

 ern Minnesota is mild and open, so. that there 

 are snowless patches in fields and prairies. 



15 



