The Birds of Wyoming. 21 



The large colonies of different species of these birds that 

 breed within the state, as well as those that pass through dur- 

 ing their migrations, destroy vast numbers of these insects. 

 They should be protected. 



"The Waxwirigs, both the Cedar Bird and Bohemian Wax- 

 wing, feed principally upon berries, etc., which they find 

 throughout the year. Still in his studies of the food contents 

 of the stomachs of a variety of birds taken in a certain orchard 

 that was overrun with cankerworms. Professor Forbes found 

 that the seven specimens of the Cedar Waxwing had eaten 

 nothing but caiiker-worms and a few dung beetles, the latter 

 in such small numbers as to scarcely count. The number of 

 caterpillars eaten by each bird ranged from 70 to loi. 



"The Shrikes or 'Butcher Birds,' are known as veritable 

 'brigands' or "pirates' when it comes to the destruction of oth- 

 er forms of life. They are true to their name, and 'butcher' 

 for pastime large numbers of insects, mice, lizards, small 

 snakes, and even a few birds. They then fly to some thorn 

 bush or barbed-wire fence and impale the luckless victim and 

 leave it for future use, or to dry up and finally blow away. The 

 good they do will outweigh the harm. 



"The food of the various Greenlets or Vireos is made up 

 almost entirely of insects, of which a large percent are cater- 

 pillars, such as infest shade trees and the larger shrubs. They 

 should be protected and encouraged, about the orchard in par- 

 ticular. 



"In the words of that pleasing writer. Dr. Elliott Coues: 

 'The Warblers we have always with us, all in their own good 

 time; they come out of the south, pass on, return, and are 

 away again, their appearance and withdrawal scarcely less than 

 a mystery; many stay with us all summer long, and some 

 brave the winters in our midst. Some of these slight creatures 

 guided by unerring instinct, travel true to the meridian in the 

 hours of darkness, slipping past like a 'thief in the night,' 

 stopping at daybreak from their lofty flights to rest and re- 

 cruit for the next stage of the journey. Others pass more 



