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Cedar Birds and Berries [THIRD WEEK 



The name waxwing is due to the scarlet ornaments at 

 the tips of the lesser flight feathers and some of the tail 

 feathers, which resemble bits of red sealing wax, but 

 which are really the bare, flattened ends of the feather 

 shafts. Cherry-bird is another name which is appro- 

 priately applied to the cedar waxwing. 



These birds are never regular in their movements, and 



they come and go 

 without heed to 

 weather or date. 

 They should never 

 be lightly passed 

 by, but their flocks 

 carefully examined, 

 lest among their 

 ranks may be hid- 

 den a Bohemian 

 chatterer a 

 stately waxwing 

 larger than com- 

 mon and even more 

 beautiful in hue, 

 whose large size 

 and splashes of 

 white upon its 

 wings will always mark it out. 



This bird is one of our rarest of rare visitors, breed- 

 ing in the far north; and even in its nest and eggs 

 mystery enshrouds it. Up to fifty years ago, absolutely 

 nothing was known of its nesting habits, although during 



CEDAR WAXWING 

 (R. H. Beebe, photo.) 



