of the Robin Redbreast, 7 



but with other birds, who are not unfrequently " boxed on 

 the ear " by our pugnacious little friend, whose organ of com- 

 bativeness must, we suppose, be pronounced to be " largely 

 developed." The puffy, dumpy, squabbling, house sparrow 

 (Passer domesticus Aldr.), and even the blithe, inoffensive, 

 sombre hedge dunnoc * (Accentor modularis Cuv.), come in 

 for a share of the redbreast's ill-humour. I have more than 

 once seen birds of different species, as the garden linnet (Li- 

 naria cannabina Lin.) and the grey wagtail (ikfotacilla cinerea 

 Aldr.), playfully contending with each other : but the redbreast 

 seems to consider undue familiarity too serious an affair to be 

 trifled with. This disposition continues unabated, according 

 to Dr. Bechstein, in confinement. I will transcribe the worthy 

 doctor's words : - — "In confinement, the inhabitants of my 

 neighbourhood like to see the redbreasts hopping about the 

 room; and they make a roost for them of oak or elm branches. 

 They find that this bird destroys flies, and even bugs. Such 

 a situation appears to agree with him very well, as he lives in 

 this way from ten to twelve years. He is sojealousand un- 

 sociable, that he must not have a companion ; he must be quite 

 alone : a second would cause battles, which would end only 

 with the death of one of the combatants. If, however, they 

 are equal in strength, and in a large room, they will divide it, 

 and, each taking possession of his half, they remain in peace ; 

 unless one should pass his limits, in which case war begins, 

 and is maintained to the last extremity." The same author 

 says that hybrids between the redbreast and dunnoc may be 

 procured : — " Dunnocs may be paired with redbreasts, and 

 these unions succeed very well." (Cage Birds, art. Dunnoc.) 



But, notwithstanding the truth of the proverb, " Unum 

 arbustum non alit duas rubeculas " [Two robins cannot dwell 

 in one bush], this " poet bird " will always be regarded with fa- 

 vourable eye by the true lover of nature, and those who require 

 something more substantial than the endearing associations 

 which have been linked with his very name in the glowing 

 pages of the poets, those, in short, who direct their attention 

 principally to things " of the earth, earthy," will find ample 

 reason for cherishing the bird for its insectivorous services. 

 I have before shown (VIII. 517.) that the redbreast does not 

 altogether reject currants; but, at the same time, I know, from 



* Mudie suggests the popular name " dunnoc " to relate to the dun- 

 coloured plumage of the bird ; and thus it is a very appropriate appellation. 

 " Sparrow," by which name it is even yet sometimes known, is very inappro- 

 priate, as the bird is not in the genus Passer. For an arrangement of the 

 British birds, see the Analyst, No. xiii,, for October, 1835. (Vol. iii. 

 p. 26—35.) ' 



b 4 



