CHAPTER XLIV. 



October 23 October 29. 



THE CEDAR WAXWING. 



Order Passeres Suborder Oscines 



Family Ampelidae Subfamily Ampelinae 



Genus Ampelis Species Ampelis cedrorum 



Length 6.50 to 7.50 ; wing, 3.60 to 3.90 ; tail, 2.30 to 2.60. 

 Wanderers without any fixed periods of migration. 



Among the early ornithologists there was a diversity of 

 opinion where, in classifying the waxwings, they should be 

 placed. Linnaeus placed them in the family laniidae composed of 

 the shrikes ; Brisson in the family turdidae composed of the 

 thrushes, etc. ; and Illiger in the family corvidae, composed of 

 the crows, jays, etc. Linnaeus afterward restored them to the 

 family ampelidae, and this is now recognized as their proper 

 classification. It seems strange that there should have been 

 such a diversity of opinion and that they should have been 

 placed in such various and unlike families. For instance, the 

 family laniidae is a family of carnivorous birds and the wax- 

 wings are frugivorous ; the family turdidae is a family of sing- 

 ing birds, and the waxwings have not the gift of song; the 

 family corvidae are very noisy birds and are omniverous feed- 

 ers, while on the other hand the waxwings are ''the silent 

 ones," and their principal food consists of fruit. The family 

 ampelidae is one of the smallest, having in it but two species, 

 namely the Bohemian and cedar waxwings. Some of the lat- 



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