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CEDAE WAXWING, Ampelis cedrorum (Vieill.) 



The cedar waxwing is probably abundant everywhere through- 

 out Montana. In the Flathead region it was found commonly 

 in all localities mentioned in these notes. In the vicinity of 

 the Station it finds adequate supplies of food in the haws and 

 elder berries in season. As a flycatcher, the cedar waxwing 

 is as expert as the kingbird and pewees, for from a station 

 in the top of some denuded tree, it will sally forth for long 

 distances, take its prey with expert skill, turn in air, 

 and return to its post in true flycatcher-like manner. Except 

 in the nesting season, the cedar waxwing manifests its social 

 disposition by nocking with others of its kind, resembling the 

 crossbill in its restless movements from one treetop to another. 



My first nest of the cedar waxwing was found on a trip to 

 the Cedar Islands, at the head of McGovem's Bay, which 

 forms the upper end of Flathead Lake. The nest was in a 

 cedar tree, neax the extremity of a horizontal branch at the 

 top of the tree. The site was eighteen feet from the ground, 

 but about nine feet above a rocky ledge under the tree. The 

 structure was made entirely of the long dark green lichen 

 or moss which droops so plentifully from tamaracks and other 

 evergreen trees. The mossy material was pinned together with 

 needles from the pine tree. This nest contained five eggs, in 

 which incubation had begun, June 24. 



On July 1 a nest of this species was found in the lot across 

 the road from the laboratory. It was made in the top of a low 

 fir tree, the situation being similar to that usually selected 

 by the olive-backed thrush. The nest was nine feet from the 

 ground, made among twigs against the main stem of the fir. 

 It further resembled the work of the thrush in being placed upon 

 a foundation of coarse dried grasses and weed stems. The nest 

 proper, however, was constructed of lichen pinned together with 

 needles, as described in the note upon the foregoing nest. The 

 nest cavity was two and one-half by three inches, major and 

 minor axes, and two inches deep. The complement was five 

 eggs, somewhat advanced in incubation. The eggs are ashy 

 gray, marked irregularly with spots of blackish brown. 



TREE SWALLOW Tachycineta bicolor (Vieill.) 



This beautiful swallow was found nesting abundantly in all 

 suitable regions. Estey's Pond, whose margin was fringed with 



