THE HABITS OF THE CEDAR WAXWING. 



The Cedar and Bohemian waxwings 

 are the only representatives of this inter- 

 esting sub-family, Ampelinae. The for- 

 mer species is distinctly an American 

 bird, but the range of the Bohemian wax- 

 wing includes the northern portions of 

 America, Europe and Asia. 



The phainopepla, Townsend's soli- 

 taire, and the vireos, all share certain 

 characteristics possessed by the wax- 

 wing. The various hues in a Cedar Wax- 

 wing's plumage, like the velvety effect 

 in shades and colors of the harlequin 

 duck and Wilson's phalarope, are soft 

 delicate tones. To appreciate this ex- 

 quisite combination, it is essential that 

 the birds themselves be seen, because, I 

 dare say, there is not a naturalist or artist 

 who can faithfully analyze, describe or 

 reproduce the display of sober and mod- 

 est tints which nature has bestowed upon 

 these feathered creatures. 



The entire continent of North Amer- 

 ica, is inhabited by either the Cedar or 

 Bohemian waxwings, but the eastern and 

 central portions from Labrador south to 

 Central America, are the principal roving 

 grounds of the Cedar bird. Here they 

 may be met with throughout the year, 

 provided their food supply of berries, 

 seeds and buds is sufficient to sustain the 

 flock until spring, when the hordes of in- 

 sects appear. 



A sociable bird, with an eccentric dis- 

 position, the Cedar or Cherry Birds, as 

 they are frequently called, wander about 

 the country in flocks, numbering from 

 five to fifty birds each. The raids made 

 by a company of these birds when they 

 descend upon orchard and shade trees, 

 which are infested by the canker-worm, 

 or elm leaf beetle, has proven a blessing 

 to many a horticulturist whose trees are 

 often threatened with destruction, until 

 the Waxwings have practically rid the 

 foliage of the injurious pests. When the 

 early Richmond cherries ripen, the Cherry 

 Birds, fond of the luscious fruit, congre- 

 gate about the trees in considerable num- 



bers. Overlooking the past, and not 

 being far-sighted enough to realize what 

 detriment might befall his future crops, 

 the farmer who begrudges every cherry 

 that the birds devour, attempts to shoot 

 all Cherry Birds that trespass upon his 

 fruit trees. When the cherry season is 

 over, the birds gradually pair off, and 

 withdraw from the flock, preparatory to 

 nesting in some coniferous shade tree, 

 bush, or orchard tree. 



In southern Michigan, I observed the 

 birds breeding not earlier than July 

 twentieth, and many nests are not occu- 

 pied before August fifth. Nest-building 

 is commenced earlier in the southern 

 states, and young Cedar Waxwings may 

 be seen in June, barely able to fly. 



On August fourth, eighteen hundred 

 and ninety-six, I found a nest of grass, 

 stems, and wool, situated fifteen feet up 

 in the crotch of an apple tree. The crest 

 of a Cherry Bird was visible above the 

 rim of the nest. Ascending to the nest, 

 I found five bluish slate-colored eggs 

 speckled with black and with under shell 

 markings of pale blue, which gave a 

 cloudy or smoky appearance to the eggs. 

 Another nest, holding four incubated 

 eggs, was discovered on August six- 

 teenth in the vicinity of the former nest. 

 A typical egg of this species measures 

 eighty-eight-hundredths of an inch in 

 length and sixty-two-hundredths of an 

 inch in breadth. 



At twilight, when the sun had dropped 

 behind the timber, as I stroll through the 

 lane, betwixt orchard and meadow, I lis- 

 ten to the carol of the vesper sparrow, 

 and the "pe-chiek" of the night hawk. 

 The mournful cooing of the turtle dove 

 echoes from the woodlands. It is like 

 the cry of a human being in distress. 



Zee-eep, zee-eep-eep-eep issues from a 

 score of throats, as a group of small birds 

 skim the tree tops, turn about and settle 

 on the topmost branches of the apple 

 trees. They are Cedar Birds and have 

 just arrived from yonder orchard. 



Gerard Alan Abbott. 



