I903- 239 



THE RECORD OF A ROBIN FAMILY. 



BY I,ADY SHA.W. 



Early in June last our young nestling Robins fluttered to 

 the edge of their nursery, which consisted of the narrowest 

 and highest shelf in our schoolroom, and took to flight. We 

 kept an accurate record of that family of Robins, and I think 

 it may interest those among the readers of the Irish 

 Naturalist, who observe the strange and delightful ways of 

 birds. On the 20th April, during the holidays, when our 

 schoolroom was especiallj^ noisy, a pair of Robins were seen 

 constantly flying in and out of the window, with leaves, moss, 

 and little threads of hair in their bills. The schoolroom is on 

 the ground floor and the window is ever open. The Robins 

 began a nest on the highest shelf but one on the right hand 

 side of an alcove-press, but when it was half finished they 

 changed their minds and began a second nest on the highest 

 and very narrow shelf on the left hand side of the alcove, 

 between two empty chocolate boxes, and nearer to the window 

 by which they always entered the room. Their work of build- 

 ing was finished b}'- the 25th April, in what appeared to 

 be a very untidy and uncomfortable manner. The Robins 

 continued to fly in and out of the room, the hen occasionally 

 lying in the nest until the 7th of May, when the hen 

 proceeded to lay her first ^%^%. We scarcely believed that 

 the Robins would really attempt to rear a brood in a room 

 where no attempt was made to keep quiet. Great considera- 

 tion, it is true, was shown her in the way of bread-crumbs, 

 which she greatly appreciated ; also, it was arranged not to 

 intercept her on her passage in and out of the room, and to 

 have the window open late in the evening and early in 

 the morning. The Robins, however, took no notice of all the 

 noise that went on in the room, and on the 9th of May a 

 second egg was laid, and on the nth a third. Then came 

 three anxious days, the Robins showed themselves but little, 

 and we feared they meant to desert, but on the morning of the 

 14th we found the hen comfortably settled down to hatch, 

 and she looked up fearlessly at usoutof her bright eyes, when 

 with the aid of a high music stool we climbed up to peep into 



