CEDAR WAXWING. 171 



there in a stiffened posture, as if absolutely stupid. When taken up in the 

 hand, they merely open their bill, without ever attempting to bite, and will 

 suffer a person to carry them in the open hand, without endeavouring to 

 make off. Their crest at such times is laid flat and close to the head. It is 

 lowered or raised at the will of the bird, but more usually stands erect. 

 Their plumage is silky. The females do not exhibit the waxen appendages 

 on the wings so soon as the males; but these appendages form no criterion as 

 to the sex. I have seen males and females with them, both at the extremities 

 of the scapulars and tail-feathers, seldom more than two or three attached to 

 the latter, whilst there were five or six at the former. Very few of these 

 birds remain the whole winter in the Middle States. 



Now, kind reader, can you give a reason why these birds are so tardy in 

 laying their eggs and rearing their young? It cannot be through want of 

 fruit for the food of their progeny, as the young birds, being at first fed on 

 insects, might continue to be so, at a season when these abound, and as the 

 old birds themselves evince pleasure at seizing them on the wing on all 

 occasions. 



I am informed by Mr. Townsend that this species is found about the 

 Columbia river, where he procured specimens. Dr. Richardson speaks of 

 it as not having been observed to the north of the 54th parallel. Mr. 

 Drummond saw several small flocks on the south branch of the Saskatchewan, 

 on the 27th of June. I found it very numerous in the Texas, in the early 

 part of May. It is known to breed from Maryland to Nova Scotia, but 

 none were seen by me in Labrador or Newfoundland. Dr. Brewer has 

 sent me the following note respecting it. "This is almost, if not quite, the 

 only one of our birds to which Wilson has been guilty of injustice. He has 

 branded it as a thief, and denied it the possession of any redeeming quality. 

 That it does not sing I admit, but that it is not deserving of our protection 

 is not true. I forbear entering any plea in its behalf on account of the beauty 

 of its plumage, or its bold defence of its young, which I can attest from 

 actual observation, but I must commend it for the benefit which it confers, 

 in this part of the country, on the farmer, by destroying thousands of the 

 destructive cankerworm. I have watched it for hours together feasting on 

 that deadly enemy to our orchards. It is very abundant, but does not breed 

 until July. The eggs do not vary much in colour. It remains all the year 

 round at Boston, and breeds abundantly in the orchards." The length of 

 the egg is 9 twelfths, its breadth 7 twelfths. 



Bombycilla carolinensis, Briss., vol. ii. p. 337. 



Cedar Bird, Ampelis americana, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. i. p. 107. 



Bombycilla carolinensis, Bonap. Syn., p. 59. 



