1922] Swarth: Birds and Mammals of the StiJcine Region 283 



fiber. He placed it within reach of the female, who proceeded to weave 

 it into the structure. The birds worked so assiduously that the nest 

 was nearly finished by noon of the second day after it was begun. 



In approaching and leaving the birds were usually together. In- 

 stead of flying directly to the nest they generally lit in some nearby 

 trees, then approached unobtrusively by several short flights through 

 the thicket. In departing similar precautions were used. When 

 perching they almost invariably chose a tree top or some elevated and 

 projecting limb. This was especially noticeable in birds disturbed at 

 their nests, and it was also the manner in which they perched when 

 engaged in flycatching activities. 



Different birds varied in the degrees of tameness they showed about 

 the nests. The female of the first set taken remained upon the eggs 

 until the collector's hand was within a few inches of her. Male and 

 female together hovered about for a few minutes, occasionally uttering 

 the usual call note, and raising and lowering the crest. Then they 

 left and did not return at all in the two hours that we remained in 

 the vicinity. 



A sitting bird when closely approached invariably pointed the bill 

 almost straight up, and kept the crest closely pressed to the head. The 

 young birds frightened from the nest resorted to the same tactics. On 

 one occasion one of a pair of waxwings, presumably the male, was seen 

 strutting about and exhibiting his beauties to his mate. Considering 

 that the two sexes are alike in every .respect, it seemed rather a 

 superfluous performance, but at any rate the one bird was hopping 

 excitedly about from branch to branch, while the other sat still and 

 looked on. The active performer kept the tail partly spread, wings 

 drooping, and crest raised, and the whole body was held stiffly upright. 

 After several minutes the other seemed to tire of the performance and 

 flew away, followed at once by its mate. 



Waxwings were seen feeding on insects and also on berries and other 

 vegetable matter. About Telegraph Creek, the first week in June, they 

 were usually seen perched on bare branches and making short sallies 

 after fiying insects in true flycatcher style. Early in July a berry- 

 bearing shrub (Shepherdia canadensis) of general distribution in the 

 region came into bearing, and the waxwings, as well as other species of 

 birds, fed upon the berries of this plant to a great extent. The young 

 waxwings we took from the nest had also been fed upon these same 

 berries. 



Under ordinary circumstances the only sound uttered by the wax- 

 wing is a sibilant call note much like that of the more familiar cedar 



