A YEAR WITH THE BIRDS 
605 
Season: A resident, breeding here, and wandering about in flocks the 
remainder of the year, feeding upon various fruits, and in winter 
upon cedar berries. 
Nest: A deep bowl made of twigs, lined with grass and feathers, and 
much miscellaneous material, either in a crotch, or saddled on 
the limb of a stout cedar bush or a tree, preferably the apple tree. 
Eggs •' 3 - 5) blue-white, with brown and lilac spots. 
You will at once recognize the Cedar Wax wing by its crest, 
yellow tail tips, red wing appendages, and straight black bill. 
Its feathers are more exquisitely shaded than those of our 
more brilliantly colored birds. 
The Cedar Waxwing, or Cherry Bird, inhabits the whole 
of the United States, but is much less common in the west. 
Although the great bulk of the species retires southward in 
winter, the bird is occasionally found in every state during 
the colder months, especially if wild berries are abundant. 
Its proverbial fondness for cherries has given rise to its 
popular name, and much complaint has been made on account 
of the fruit eaten. Observation has shown, however, that its 
depredations are confined to trees on which the fruit ripens 
earliest. 
THE SWALLOWS. 
There are seven common species of Swallows within the 
limits of the United States, four of which have, to some ex- 
tent, abandoned their primitive nesting habits and attached 
themselves to the abodes of man. As a group, Swallows are 
gregarious and social in an eminent degree. Some species 
build nests in large colonies, occasionally numbering thousands ; 
in the case of others only two or three pairs are found together ; 
while still others nest habitually in single pairs. 
Their habits are too familiar to require any extended de- 
scription. Their industry and tirelessness are wonderful, and 
during the day it is rare to see Swallows at rest except just 
before their departure for the south, when they assemble upon 
telegraph wires or upon the roofs of buildings, apparently 
making plans for the journey. 
A noticeable characteristic of several of the species is their 
attachment to man. In the eastern part of the country the 
Barn Swallow ( Chelidon erythrogastra) now builds exclu- 
sively under roofs, having entirely abandoned the rock caves 
