196 HAPS IN THE FIELD 



to the amazement of the observers, who, let 

 me say, were intelligent, trustworthy people. 

 The cedar-bird, or cedar-waxwing, was an- 

 other tenant of the old field, and I saw him 

 that season for the first time in the position 

 of head of a family. Through apple-blossom 

 time the year before I had watched a small 

 party of cedar-birds who spent much time in 

 the orchard. They appeared to be very busy 

 among the blossoms, and I brought my strong- 

 est field-glass to see what they were doing. 

 I found that they were pulling off the white 

 petals, dropping a part, but, to my surprise, 

 eating a part of them. I could see them very 

 distinctly take a petal in the beak and draw 

 it in, crumpling as it disappeared. No doubt 

 they were primarily seeking insects among 

 the blossoms, but they certainly added an oc- 

 casional petal to their bill of fare. That they 

 did no harm to the fruit became evident when 

 apples appeared, which I noted carefully, as 

 I remained there till October. I never saw 

 apple-trees so loaded. Branches were borne 

 to the ground, and even broken by their bur- 

 den, while only one tree in the whole orchard 

 showed any signs of insects. 



