The Cedar Bird. 



57 



After a short interval, during which 

 I went to get a notebook and pencil, 

 this bird was back again, and once 

 more her jet-black eye and clean-cut 

 profile appeared above the nest. I 

 had sat down but a moment when 

 the male flew past, and gave an alarm 

 which brought off his mate in a flash. 

 Both then alighted in the tops of 

 neighboring trees, and standing erect, 

 uttered their low responsive call- 

 notes. 



Six days later August 2 1st 

 the bush was removed a rod away 

 and the tent placed beside it at nine 

 o'clock. The familiar calls of both 

 birds were now heard and in just 

 thirty-five minutes from the time of 

 closing the tent a soft whirring of 

 wings announced the mother bird, 

 who alighted near the nest. She 



Fig. 40. After feeding the young the gullet empty. Notice 

 the "sitting" posture, and compare curves of throat in Fig. 39. 



Fig. 39. Female Cedar-bird ready to feed young 

 by regurgitation gullet stuffed with cherries. 



approached cautiously, as an intelligent 

 bird should do, surveying the situation 

 at every step, and finally landed on the 

 nest. After a momentary pause she be- 

 gan tossing up her head and producing 

 black cherries which were judiciously 

 placed, one at a time, in the throats of 

 her nestlings. Then a thorough inspec- 

 tion followed, and the sanitary condition 

 of the establishment was insured by the 

 method already described, after which 

 the mother remained a full minute ; then 

 with a low whistle she sped away. At 

 her next visit she began to shield her 

 young from the growing heat. With 

 half-spread wings and with back to the 

 sun the mother protected her little ones 

 for a full hour from the broiling sun, 

 while* her mate came repeatedly and 

 handed out the cherries. 



The Cedar-bird will pant with 



