Birds of Oregon and Washington 259 



Dr. Hodge gives a charge which must be 

 strictly observed if we are to keep the confi- 

 dence of the birds thus tamed. They must not 

 be handled ; neither at first, nor even after they 

 sit upon our arms or rest upon our shoulders. 

 Dr. Hodge relates that the Wax wing, even after 

 a long period of familiarity, could not endure 

 this demonstration, except once or twice, when 

 very cold. Our human disposition to seize every 

 moving and wild thing, not harmful, must be re- 

 strained. The cage, of course, should be abol- 

 ished as soon as the bird comes freely to us, 

 that he may come and go, through open windows 

 and doors, as he will. It will be interesting to 

 those who read this chapter to know that the 

 Waxwing became a bird-missionary in all of the 

 public schools of Worcester, Mass., visiting each 

 in turn, and, by his free presence, pleading that 

 such treatment as he had received might be 

 given to all birds by all children. As a result, 

 Worcester is perhaps the banner city in the 

 United States in the protection and rearing of 

 wild birds. 



One of the charming things in the rearing of 



