WAXWINGS 



(618) BombyciIIa gjirrula 



(Linn.) (Lat,, j^^arrulous, a chattt^rer). 



BOHEMIAN WAXWING. Head 

 crested. Bill rather broad and flat; 

 notched near tip of each mandible. 

 Apparently only nine primaries, the 

 first being very minute. Ads. — 

 Plumage as shown. Black throat 

 l^atch, sharply defined behind; wings 

 with white and yellow markings as 

 shown; secondaries often tipped with 

 enlarged, red, horny, sealing-wax-like 

 appendages; crissum chestnut; no 

 yellowish underneath. L., 7.7s; W., 

 4.50; T., 2.80. Nest — Of twigs and 

 moss, lined with feathers; at low ele- 

 vations usually in coniferous trees. 



Range — Boreal zones. Breeds 

 from Alberta and B. C. northward; 

 winters south irregularly to Conn., 

 Pa., 111. and Cal. 



houses or in orchard trees, they show a rnarked preference for 

 dead trees with suitable cavities, leaning over water. 



We have seen that Purple Martins nest in bird houses or 

 hollow trees; Cliff Swallows nest on the faces of cliffs or the 

 outside of buildings; Barn Swallows inside of buildings or in 

 caves; Tree Swallows in bird houses or hollow trees. We 

 now come to a small dull-colored swallow, the Bank Swallow, 

 which nests only in holes in banks. They nest in colonies, in 

 some places the soil being honeycombed by the burrows dug 

 by the birds, too smaU to insert the hand and extending in 

 about two feet; at the end is a larger chamber, which they 

 line with grass to receive the white eggs. Notice that this 

 species has a conspicuous band of gray or brown across the 

 chest, this readily distinguishing them from the ROUGH- 

 WINGED SWALLOWS which nest in similar places, but 

 have an average more southerly distribution. This last 

 species is so named because the outer web of the outer pri- 

 mary is very rough and saw-toothed. 



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