BIRDS AND FLOWERS OF EARLY SUMMER 



By Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, C. M. Z. S., etc, 



(PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR) 



T>ECKONING by the conventional rule of dividing the 

 -*-* year into four seasons, we have come to consider 

 March, April, and May the spring months. This, how- 

 ever, is a matter of latitude, in so far as our country is 

 concerned ; for, if we take March as an example, we know 

 that in Maine it is characterized by all that pertains to 

 winter, while in Florida the month of March resembles 

 the earlv summer of the Middle Atlantic States and 



AN OLD MALE CEDAR BIRD 



^ig- L This specimen shows the complete row of wax appen- 

 dages on the wings, but no terminal ones on the tail feathers. 

 The crest is depressed. 



there you are. So, early summer in any part of the coun- 

 try is usually held to be a transitional season, with every- 

 thing in nature, the weather included, partaking of what 

 one expects late in the spring upon the one hand, and the 

 first warm days of summer upon the other. In any event, 

 it is one of the most charming seasons of the year espe- 

 cially appealing to all lovers of the out-of-doors and all 

 that nature holds for them in the open. 



To be sure, the spring migrants among the birds have 



built their homes and reared their broods at least those 

 that do build nests ; yet many of them still present the 

 livery of their spring plumage unworn particularly the 

 males ; while not a few, during the time we have in mind, 

 start in to rear a second family, or even a third, as is the 

 case in some species. 



Then, few people are aware that we have one bird that 

 puts off the time of mating and housekeeping until the 

 latter part of June, and the bird in question is our com- 

 mon, but very beautiful Cedar bird or Waxwing a 

 species that students of American ornithology and many 

 others know at a glance. Years ago, I had several of 

 them alive for nearly a month, during which time I was 

 successful in my efforts to obtain photographs of them, 

 two of which are here reproduced. Many are unfamiliar 

 with the reason why these lovely birds are called Wax- 

 wings ; it is because a row of the wing-feathers upon 

 either side are tipped with tiny, longish bits of some ma 



A PAIR OF CEDAR BIRDS 



Fig. 2. These birds are shown on a branch of Sweet Gum, the 

 one with its back toward the observer being the male. Note the 

 beautiful black and velvety feathers surrounding the eyes, 



