CEDARBIRD. 327 
on these inseéts. They are said also to be very fond of the destructive canker worm. 
In short there can be no doubt that, although to a certain extent inimical to the 
grower of small fruits, they partially if not fully pay for what they take, in ridding 
the premises of insects which would otherwise injure if not destroy the trees.” 
According to Dr. T. M. Brewer, the horticulturist does not appreciate to the full 
the immense services the Cedarbird renders to him each spring in the destruction of 
injurious inseéts. ‘A flock of these birds will, in a short space of time, devour an 
immense number of larve of the destructive canker worms (Phalceene) that infest the 
apples and elms in Massachusetts, and, if permitted, would soon greatly reduce their 
numbers. But these prejudices cannot be softened by their good deeds, and the Cherry- 
bird is still hunted and destroyed.” 
Our elegant Cedar Waxwings are very late breeders, and when other birds are 
already feeding their full grown young, or are almost through with a second brood, we 
may see them lounging about in flocks. They scarcely begin nest-building before the 
season is half over, and sometimes they postpone their domestic affairs until the 
beginning of September. They are very capricious in their movements, being one day 
here and the other quite a distance away. Their presence or absence seems to bear no 
relation to season or weather, the question of food supply being probably the con- 
trolling influence in their wanderings. When the mating time arrives the flocks separate 
into pairs and each pair soon occupies its old nesting-quarters, preferably orchards, 
gardens, ornamental plantations, and the borders of woods. By the end of June and 
in July we may find some nests, but the majority of the Cedarbirds breed in August. 
The nest, mostly a bulky but very warm and handsome structure five to eight feet from 
the ground, is built of bark-strips, roots, fine grasses and weed stems, pieces of paper, 
birch bark, rags, twine, and wool, and is lined with fine grasses, bark-strips, and hair. 
A typical Wisconsin nest of the Cedarbird which was placed in the lower horizontal 
branch of an oak near my parental home, was built externally of fine grape-vine bark, 
a few rootlets, and grass stems all intermixed with wool. The lining consisted of fine 
rootlets and strips of bark. The cavity is large and deep for the bird. It usually takes 
from thirteen to fourteen days till the eggs are hatched. The birds are exceedingly careful 
and silent near their nest, not even uttering their faint lisping note when their domain 
is approached. It is a beautiful sight when the female sits on her nest, while the 
observer stands near by. With raised top-knot and a wild look she turns her head to 
the intruder. Then she glides softly away from the nest and soon disappears. Nests 
of these birds from the Arctic regions are more carefully and compactly built and lined 
with warmer materials. They are constructed largely of fine dark colored lichens that 
cover the forest trees of those regions. 
The eggs, usually five in number, have a bluish slate or stone-color tinged with 
olive. They are marked with blotches of purple and dark brown, almost black. 
The Cedarbird winters from the Northern States south to Guatemala, and breeds 
from Florida to the Arctic regions. 
NAMES: CeEparuirp, Carolina Waxwing, Cedar Waxwing, Little Waxwing, Carolina Chatterer, Cherry- 
bird, Spider-bird. — Cedervogel (German). 
