THE REDBREAST. 227 



regarded it as something sacred from harm, and he will immediately call 

 to mind that the idea has been implanted in his mind from the earliest 

 period, and is about co-eval with his use of a knife and fork, if not of 

 an earlier date. 



It is certain that there is no bird more familiar or more fearless, and 

 few, very few, who can at all compete with him in these particulars; it 

 is quite notorious that a Redbreast will come upon the breakfast-table 

 for crumbs, and instances are not wanting where be will come upon the 

 hand of a person who has been in the habit of feeding him, and I saw 

 an instance of this, where a young lady almost daily visited a particular 

 tree, (a small spruce fir,) standing on the edge of the carriage-drive 

 leading to her father's house, and as surely would her little pensioner appear, 

 advance along a particular branch, aud hop from thence upon her hand; 

 but although he sat there fearlessly and picked up the crumbs from 

 the palm, he would not suffer the other hand to be advanced towards him, 

 but immediately hopped to a safe distance. I myself induced him to 

 take the bread from my hand, but he would never come upon my hand, 

 but sat on the extremity of the branch and picked the crumbs from 

 thence. A latitude is allowed in all things, and in nothing more than iu 

 the nomenclature of colours, which we constantly hear misnamed. Thus, 

 Port wine is called Red wine, and Sherry or Madeira, White wine, and 

 yet we know very well that one is deep ruby, the other gold-colour. In 

 like manner this little bird's breast is called "red," when, if we examine 

 it, we shall find it as nearly ochre-coloured as possible; probably the eye 

 may be deceived by distance and contrast, and the name once given is 

 no doubt all-sufficient as a name, and hence the error was perpetuated. 

 We all know that the kingfisher's breast seems of the brightest orange 

 as he glides . over the stream, when, if viewed close, it is not a whit 

 brighter than the Robin's. 



It has been said that the reason why we prize the Redbreast so much 

 is, that he is in song when all other music of the woods is mute. This 

 may be, in some measure, true, but let it not detract from the melody 

 of his voice. No doubt everything is enhanced in value by contrast, and 

 the leafless trees, and the thick dull cold air of a November evening, 

 when the light is fast fleeting ere yet the day has seen the eighth hour, 

 set off the sweet piping of this pretty songster to the best advantage; but 

 he really needs not this to place him in the first rank. I suppose it is 

 also partly for the same reason that he passes almost unscathed through 

 the multitudes of devices made use of to entrap and destroy other birds, 

 for it must be acknowledged in fairness to the other kinds, that as a 

 fruit-eating bird he is not less culpable than they; but he certainly does not 

 increase in the same proportion, although his nest usually contains five or 



