Page:Condor6(1).djvu/14

Jan., I9O41 THE CONDOR 13 lake shore, e.95o altitude. The nest was six feet from the ground, ill a small fir surrounded by larger ones, so that the site was completely screened from passing view. The nest was made beside the main stem, situated like that of a chipping sparrow's, which it greatly resembled. It was made externally of coarse weed- stems and grasses, and was lined with filler grasses and horsehair. The cavity was two inches in diameter, and one and three-eighths inches deep. There were five young nearly fledged, showing the black crown and yellow superciliary lille, and dull wing-bands. All the younglings were infested with a parasitic grub, which had eaten a hole ill the skull or upper part of the neck behind, and their wriggling forms could be seen ill the skull or other cavity, from which it appeared that the parasite had eatell the elltire contents, though the youngster, s were ener- getically stretching forth their heads for food at the approach of the industrious parents. The male was most active ill bringing food to the nest, and he was secured with '?' little difficulty. The female was shyer, and I could cap- ture her only after long (and impatient) waiting. (I shall be glad to send specimens of this parasite to ally person who may be investigating .?.? this subject). The cedar waxwing is re- -puted to be lacking ill vocal .?- powers, except the faint lisp- . ing call and such variations of it as are possible ill bird lan- guage. This summer for the first time I heard a cedar wax- wing ( Ampelis tedforum) utter allother cry, showing that it can give forth abundant sound should occasion ever require. The waxwing is especially NEST OF RUBY-CROWINIED KINGI. IrT PHOTO ?Y PROI r. M J. ?LROD numerous ill this portion of the Flathead region, and desiring a skin for the col- lection, I sallied out one evening before dusk with my little collecting gun. Two waxwings were sitting near each other on a lower branch of a fir, about twenty feet from the ground. They were evidently courting. He would sidle over to her, rub his breast against hers, rub his bill caressingly upon hers, and then sidle back to his former place. Then the other bird would go through a similar performance. Disliking to kill one without the other, I tried to get both at one shot, all that my gull carried. One of the birds fell wounded. As I picked it up, it gave utterance to a loud, shrill whistling cry, a continuous pite- ous cry not unlike the screaming of a young robin when distressed. It is a curi- ous fact that some birds have a peculiar cry which they use only on occasions of great fright or peril. When a long-eared owl (Ado wilsoniamts). is chloroformed, it will utter a peculiar shrill whistle; but whoever heard this owl emit such a call in the ordinary circumstances of life? So it is with the cedar waxwing, for it is certainly capable of producing a most piercing scream when its life is sorely threatened.