CEDAR WAXWING OR " CHERRY BIRD" 385 



gray on head and back and yellowish where the male is salmon. 

 The colors of male are: Breast, head, and back a deep, lustrous 

 black; long wing-feathers at base a rich salmon; about half of the 

 outer tail feathers, sides of breast, and body beneath wings deep 

 salmon. 



The American redstart, like other warblers, is very beneficial 

 because of its insect-eating habits. 



Blackburnian Warbler (Plate 4, Fig. 20). A beautiful repre- 

 sentative of the warbler family and a strictly insectivorous bird 

 is here described. Breeding as it does in the evergreen woods, 

 it consumes more insects there than it does in the neighborhood 

 of farms. However, even the warblers that pass through any 

 latitude in spring and again in the fall, not nesting there, are 

 useful, in that they are keen hunters of insects found hi our trees 

 at that time. The Blackburnian warbler winters hi the tropics. 



It is about five and a quarter niches in length. The male is 

 strikingly colored, as indicated hi the illustration. The back is 

 streaked with black and white, and the deep orange, shown hi the 

 figure, extends over the throat and breast. The under parts are 

 tinged with the same color. It is regarded by many as the most 

 beautiful of all the warblers. 



Cedar Waxwing or "Cherry Bird" (Plate 4, Fig. 16). This 

 beautiful bird is about seven niches long. The tips of the second- 

 ary feathers hi the wings and frequently the tips of tail feathers 

 resemble red sealing wax; hence the above name. The head and 

 upper parts are a warm grayish brown. There is a conspicuous 

 crest. A jet black line crosses the forehead and through the eyes. 

 A yellow band extends across the tail at its end. The bird is 

 yellowish below. 



It is found in varying abundance over the United States and 

 breeds throughout its range. The nest is characteristic, rather 

 bulky, but of loose construction, in which rootlets, moss, twigs 

 and lichens may appear. It is built in fruit trees or in shade trees 

 from six to fifteen or more feet above the ground. The eggs have 

 been described as "putty colored" and irregularly spotted with 

 black or brownish markings. There may be three, four, or five 

 in a nest. 



Food Habits. These birds are fond of canker worms and other 



caterpillars, and are valuable allies in any orchard. One year in 



August the writer noted the fly-catching habit of this bird, arid 



the following note-book entry was made: "For almost half 'an? 



25 



