160 SPRING AT THE CAPITAL. 



ing now and then his husky, discordant note. As I 

 tossed a lump of earth up at them the frightened 

 mother-bird dropped her mortar, and the pair skurried 

 away, much put out. Later, they avenged themselves 

 by pilfering my cherries. 



The most mischievous enemies of the cherries, 

 however, here, as at the North, are the cedar wax- 

 wings, or " cherry -birds." How quickly they spy out 

 the tree! Long before the cherry begins to turn, 

 they are around, alert and cautious. In small flocks 

 they circle about, high in air, uttering their fine note, 

 or plunge quickly into the tops of remote trees. 

 Day by day they approach nearer and nearer, recon- 

 noitring the premises, and watching the growing fruit. 

 Hardly have the green lobes turned a red cheek to 

 the sun, before their beaks have scarred it. At first 

 they approach the tree stealthily, on the side turned 

 from the house, diving quickly into the branches in 

 ones and twos, while the main flock is ambushed in 

 some shade tree not far off. They are most apt to 

 commit their depredations very early in the morning 

 and on cloudy, rainy days. As the cherries grow 

 sweeter the birds grow bolder, till, from throwing 

 tufts of grass, one has to throw stones in good ear- 

 nest, or lose all his fruit. In June they disappear, 

 following the cherries to the north, where by July, 

 they are nesting in the orchards and cedar groves. 



Among the permanent summer residents here (one 

 might say city residents, as they seem more abun* 

 dant in town than out), the yellow warbler or sum 



