126 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



Unlike the orioles, the waxwings always come 

 to us in flocks, usually with the robins in winter. 

 They appear suddenly in the pepper trees or the 

 sycamores. Pepper-berries and mistletoe-berries 

 make a midwinter feast for the waxwings. The 

 waxwings share the robins' ways of throwing up 

 the seeds after a meal on these berries. Pepper 

 trees are seen growing in distant mountain 

 washes, where never any man planted the seeds. 

 This is the work of the waxwings. 



The robins and waxwings seem firm friends, 

 and wander about together, as merry as can be. 

 The real cause of their friendship lies in the food 

 which they share together. Their tastes are 

 similar. 



Waxwings are birds of long flight. There is a 

 common belief that the waxwing gathers a supply 

 of food in its lunch-basket or crop, and carries it 

 on long journeys, digesting it at need, as the 

 camel is known to carry a supply of water for its 

 desert journey. This may be only a story, as we 

 are not certain about it. 



We manage to have food ready for the winter 

 birds in our grounds. If we give the raspberries 

 a late summer watering, they will bear berries in 

 midwinter, not a large crop, to be sure, but 

 enough for the waxwings. It is great fun to see 



