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IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCE 
The shrike may he found along the roads near pastures where Hawthorn 
or crab apple trees are found or where there is an osage orange hedge. His 
nest is built in such a hedge or in a thorn bush or tree. It is a large, bulky, 
warm structure resembling somewhat a large king-bird’s nest. 
Cedar Waxwing. Majestic, stately looking bird of exquisite coloring, the 
cedar waxwing is quite rare in Polk county during the breeding season, though 
abundant in the spring and fall and throughout the winter, seen in flocks of 
from ten to thirty quite frequently, generally in the light woods or orchards. 
Its food consists of seeds and insects, with occasionally some fruit when it Is 
convenient. The waxwing’s nest is a deep structure of sticks and fibers, lined 
with grass and feathers, and located in the crotch of an apple tree or cedar 
bush a few feet from the ground. 
Purple Martin. The most common of the swallows in and about Des Moines, 
the purple martin may be seen on the telephone and telegraph wires throughout 
the residence districts of our city and along most of the roads leading to it. 
Their season here is from the middle of April to the first of September. 
Their nests are built in boxes, corners of buildings and hollow trees, and con- 
sist of a little heap of leaves and a few straws. 
Barn Swallow. Next in order comes the barn swallow, known by his long, 
forked tail, and building his nest of mud and straw on or against tne rafters 
of the barn or shed within easy access of the willful pilferer. His stay with 
us is about the same as that of the purple Martin. The diet of all the swal- 
lows is chiefly insects, caught on the wing. 
Tree Swallow. This white-bellied swallow is found in some places in Polk 
county in rather large numbers, especially during the times of gathering be- 
fore the fall migration. Their general habits correspond very closely with 
those of the purple martin, both in the time of arrival and departure and 
their nesting habits. 
BanU Swallow. Arriving in May and leaving again in late August, the bank 
swallow makes the shortest stay of all our swallows. He is the smallest of 
our swallows and builds a nest in a tunnel excavated by himself in a clay bank 
along a river or railroad cut. This tunnel is lined with grass and feathers, 
making a soft, warm nest. Other habits the same as the other swallows. 
Clijf Swallow: Eaves Swallow. This last of the swallows to be considered 
is, to some of our farmer boys, the best known of them all, for in some local- 
ities beneath the eaves of every barn are found long rows of these peculiar, 
gourd-shaped nests of mud, with the opening through the neck, and lined with 
feathers and straw. Often they are placed so close together that a single mud 
wall forms the dividing partition. Where there are no desirable buildings upon 
which to build the nests, they are built under shelving cliffs. 
The barn swallow is typical of this swallow in other respects. 
Scarlet Tanager. Once one of our most common and familiar birds, the 
scarlet tanager is our best local example of the unspeakably pathetic effect of 
the uncurbed exercise of a semi-savage taste. Together with all of our bril- 
liantly plumaged birds, the scarlet tanager has been nearly persecuted out of 
existence, and had not prohibitory laws been passed, the present would have 
witnessed the list now containing the American bison, the woodcock and the 
passenger pigeon swelled by another once common Iowa resident. Five years 
ago it was an exceedingly rare bird in Polk county, but it is now on the in- 
crease, though its confidence in human kind has not returned. We must now 
