84 



THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



(Paul Bartsch.) "Common 



throug-hout the year in Jackson 

 county, and a few breed here. 

 Found a nest, in a small oak 8 ft. 

 up, in first week in Aug-ust 1891, 

 containing- two ^-oung birds. 

 This bird is very irregular in its 

 movements, sometimes appearing 

 in considerable numbers and at 

 other times not one can be 

 found. And this at any time of 

 the year. Last fall they were 

 ver}' abundant until winter set in, 

 since which time very few have 

 been seen up to the present." 

 (H. J. Giddings. ) "Common 

 summer resident in VanBuren Co. 

 In winter can be seen nearl}^ 

 every day, in the neig^hborhood 

 of cedars. The first to find the 

 ripe fruits of all kinds. Have 

 never found its nest but have 

 seen 3'oung-.'" (Wm. Savage.) 



"It is a fine morning- in June; 

 the Brown Thrashers ever charm- 

 ing and joyous notes come from 

 among the willows and the hedge; 

 from the maple groves, cool and 

 shad}" retreat, comes the clear 

 notes of the Baltimore Oriole, 

 the tiny Wrens are at their best 

 this morning. Look! There 

 ahead of us among the cherry 

 trees is a flock of the Cedar birds; 

 watch them as they fly to the 

 next tree with a reg-ularity of 

 movement that reminds one of 

 our boys in blue. How g-raceful 

 they are going from one fine 

 cluster of cherries to another, why 

 not let them eat a few delicious 



cherries, they certainly taste 

 better than canker worms. The 

 Cedar bird is common in this lo- 

 cality, visiting Boone Co. nearly 

 every 3'ear, and sometimes re- 

 main to breed, but their mig-ra- 

 ting- movements cannot be traced 

 with accuracy; hundreds, yes 

 thousands migrating to the south 

 and at the same time many re- 

 main v/ith us in their northern 

 home, wandering from place to 

 place in search of food. During- 

 the spring- mig-ration they usually 

 arrive in Boone Co. the latter part 

 of February. On Feb. 11, '94, a 

 flock of 50 Waxwings appeared 

 at Ames Iowa, the}- were ag-ain 

 seen March 4th. at my friend 

 Weidman's home at Ames. One 

 specimen collected, out of a flock 

 of 25, the secondaries had red 

 sealing wax appendages seven on 

 each wing. March 11th. they 

 were next seen at the same place. 



Mr. Weidnian says he did not 

 observe them at Ames on any 

 other occasion than the date above 

 given. On March 8th, they 

 were at Boone, then left and re- 

 turned on the 22nd. In '91 I did 

 not observe the Cedar bird until 

 the Liver Wort and Wake Robin 

 flowers had made their appearance 

 April 5, and 14, were the dates 

 on which I saw them. I collected 

 one of the twenty odd wanderers 

 on the latter date; no appendag-es 

 on secondaries; the crested beau- 

 ties were feeding- on Cedar berries. 



Although arriving- later than 



