112 Twelve Months With 



The cedar-bird is one of our earliest arrivals in 

 April, and yet it does not settle down to the serious 

 business of housekeeping until July. Some very 

 good reason, such as suitable food supply, must 

 exist for this very unusual practice. 



The waxwing gets its name from the tipping 

 of bright red horny substance, resembling sealing 

 wax in appearance, on the short wing feathers, and 

 sometimes on the feathers of the tail. 



Like the catbird, the cedar waxwing sometimes 

 shows its good will and brotherly love by feeding 

 the orphaned young of other birds, and on the 

 whole they should be classed among our most 

 gentle, refined and charming birds. Like the blue- 

 birds, flickers and some of the sparrows, they some- 

 times choose wild, remote places for their nests, 

 and at other times will select a fruit tree close to 

 house or barn. 



Some reputable authorities contend that the 

 black tern does not subsist upon fish at all, but 

 upon this walk I observed two of these birds flying 

 over the river and the adjoining bottom land, and 

 one of them twice plunged head foremost into the 

 water, very much after the fashion of the king- 

 fisher, which would seem to be a wholly useless 

 performance if the bird were merely feeding upon 

 aquatic insects, as it is claimed it does. 



The black tern is a beautiful, graceful bird, 

 with black head and body and slaty-gray wings. 

 The wings are very long and the body small and 

 the tail short, after the fashion of the swallow. It 



