324 



WAX WINGS. 



tail-coverts, wings, and tail gray ; secondaries, and sometimes tail, with small, 

 red, seed-shaped, sealing-wax-like tips; tail with a yellow bund at its end; 

 breast like the back, changing gradually into yellowish on the belly; under 

 tail-coverts white. L., 7'19; W., 8-70; T., 2-37; B. from X.. --jti. 



Range. North America; breeds from Virginia and the highlands of 

 South Carolina north to Labrador; winters from the northern I'niu-d Suites 

 to Central America. 



Washington, very common P. R., less so in winter. Sing Sing, common 

 P. K. Cambridge, not common P. K., common S. K., abundant T. V. in spring, 

 Feb. 1 to Apl. 25. 



Nest, bulky, of strips of bark, leaves, grasses, twigs, rootlets, moss, and 

 sometimes mud, lined with finer materials of the same nature, in fruit or 

 shade trees, five to twenty feet up. Egg*, three to five, pale bluish gray or 

 putty color, distinctly and obscurely spotted with black or umber, -8$ x -62. 



When the spring migration is over and the home birds have gone 

 to nest-building, small flocks of Goldfinches and Waxwings two 

 peculiarly gentle, attractive birds may still be seen wandering about 

 the country. The squads of Cedar-birds fly evenly, on a level with the 

 tree tops, in close ranks, often of five, seven, or nine. Frequently, 

 when under full headway, they suddenly wheel and dive down to an 

 apple tree for a meal of canker worms. 



In following the beautiful Waxwings about one listens in vain for 

 a song, but soon comes to relish their two peculiar calls a hushed 

 whistle and the subdued call Thoreau describes as their " beady note," 



