IN OLD NEWBURYPORT 127 



feast for their delectation and holding the frag- 

 ments far into the winter that none may go away 

 from a visit hungry. The pasture cedars, that 

 love the river air, but may not live on the marsh, 

 have built seaside colonies on these hillocks and 

 spread a feast of blue cedar berries for all passing 

 flocks. Here the robins, now gathering for their 

 winter flight south, flock and feed, holding their 

 ground at the approach of man, crying " Tut, 

 tut ! " to his intrusion. With them are the cedar 

 wax- wings, also very fond of the cedar berries, 

 the soft gray-browns of the bird's plumage blend- 

 ing most pleasantly with the olive greens of the 

 cedars. There is a dainty, sleek beauty about this 

 bird that harmonizes wonderfully well with the 

 cedar trees which it frequents, and the little red 

 sealing-wax tips on its wing feathers make one 

 think that the flock is bringing Christmas decora- 

 tions of holly berries to each tree to deck it for the 

 holiday season. In wild apple trees the robins 

 seem less than half-wild and in the cedars the wax- 

 wings more than half-tame. The two give a 

 friendly spirit to the spot and at once make you 

 feel that you are welcome. To sit quietly in such 



