Waxwings. 



Order, Passeres. 

 Family, Ampelidae. 



619. CEDAR WAXWING. Ampelis cedrorum. Length seven 

 inches. Brown above. Crested. Breast yellowish-brown. Red spots 

 on wings resembling wax. Black band separating hat from jacket. Yel- 

 low band across end of tail feathers. 



CEDAR WAXWING. 



Very much of a globe-trotter is this very pretty bird with 

 his brown panne- velvet jacket and crested hat to match. The 

 most sociable of birds, he travels in such large flocks that the 

 supply of worms, bugs and berries upon which he feeds is soon 

 exhausted in a given neighborhood, when he moves on. He is 

 of an exclusive family, only three varieties having been found, 

 two in America, the third in Japan and they look more like Jap- 

 anese than they do like American birds. The name is given them 

 because their wings have small red spots that look as though 

 melted wax had been dropped upon them. 



They have society appetities and perfect table manners and 

 when you see a dozen of them sitting upon a limb do not be 

 surprised if another should suddenly arrive and taking his place 

 quietly at the end of the limb, offer a choice worm to his nearest 

 friend with a soft remark in an undertone. You will probably 

 not understand the remark but doubtless it was " After you, 

 Alphonse", or something of the kind. Then Alphonse will pass 

 it along to Gaston and Gaston to Leon and so on, until it has been 

 passed to the end of the table and returned, when it is very daintily 

 eaten by the original giver. They are so fond of juniper berries 

 even in a state of decomposition that there is a suspicion that 

 they like an after-dinner cordial. 



When you see the top of a tree just loaded with them, you will 

 find here and there a lonely outpost in adjoining trees and if 

 there is cause for alarm, the colony will rise and adjourn in cir- 

 cling flight to a place of greater safety. 



