EECREATIVE SCIENCE. 



185 



walk, and every one will be found to sing, 

 pause for reply, and sing again, and every 

 separate song is an invitation to mortal com- 

 bat. When they fight, as they do fre- 

 quently, it is without quarter on both sides 

 — one of them is almost sure to perish. 

 Many a robin have I found and buried with 

 martial honours, pronouncing him a "little 

 fool," when his mite of a body, all ruffled 

 and blood-stained, has been in my hand ; but 

 the battles take place usually at day-break, 

 and none but early risers have a chance of 

 witnessing this trait of the robin's character. 

 Rennie once saw an instance at Compton 

 Bassett, in Wiltshire, " in which a redbreast 

 made a daily visit in summer within a cottage- 

 door." Wonderful sight to see ! how many 

 hundreds of such " instances" have country 

 people, who are not naturalists, seen ? Why, 

 there is hardly a countryman in the three 

 kingdoms but, at some time or other, has 

 seen a robin go within the cottage-door ; and 

 any man with a goodnatured face may scrape 

 acquaintance with the robin without ceremony 

 of introduction, for his motto is veni, vidi, 

 vici — it is not for you to seek him, he makes 

 the direct appeal by placing himself in your 

 power, and, unless you are a downright brute, 

 you are beaten by his confidence. He is the 

 friend of man, and is determined that man 

 shall be his friend. When caged, and so de- 

 spoiled of that joyous liberty he loves so much, 

 to sing and slaughter at his own free-will, he 

 still is the most impudent of all birds. I 

 never keep but one caged robin, and that is 

 only during the winter months. I let him 

 free in March, as they are easily caught, 

 and easily kept, but are apt to die in sum- 

 mer. This is the way to indulge your own 

 desire without doing grievous wrong — nay, 

 robins often perish of cold and want in winter, 

 for they are not so hardy as they look, and 

 by keeping a robin over winter only, one 

 may console one's self by the belief that the 

 bird has been rescued from possible misery. 

 My present " Bobby" came home three miles 



screwed up in a paper bag inside my hat. 

 In three days he was at home in his cage, 

 in a week he was as tame as an old canary. 

 The secret is to give insect food in plenty ; 

 quietly drop in the cage one meal-worm, or 

 one spider, or a small earth-worm. Presently 

 you hear a tapping, and the prey is swallowed. 

 Give another, and another, till Bobby has 

 made away with half a dozen. Leave him 

 alone for an hour, then fill his food-vessel 

 with a paste made thus : grated carrot as 

 much as will fill a table-spoon, a quarter of 

 a French roll steeped for a minute in boiling 

 water, squeezed dry, and then slightly wetted 

 with boiling milk, a table-spoonful of hemp- 

 seed scalded with boUing water and drained 

 quite dry ; mix all together, and let him have 

 a little at a time ; it will keep two days in a 

 cool place, and in cold weather need only be 

 made twice a week — of course if it gets sour 

 it should be thrown away. With this and 

 daily supplies of animal food, whether insects 

 or minced beef, robins always do well, and 

 there is no occasion for German paste, or 

 any other mysteries. When once he takes 

 fairly to the food, place a meal-worm on the 

 open palm of your hand and let his door be 

 opened. If he does not sweep over your hand 

 and carry away the meal-worm on his way 

 to alight on a cornice or a curtain-pole, tlien 

 you are not clever in managing birds, and 

 must hope for better luck in future. 



I never would keep a robin except as a 

 member of the family, with liberty to go in. 

 and out of his cage as he pleased, and with & 

 special welcome to hop about the table at 

 meal times, and help himself from every- dish. 

 To make sure of success, you must get a 

 strong bird that has been caged when " gray." 

 To catch one at this season is to sacrifice it, 

 for it will sigh itself away and break its heart 

 at the loss of freedom. With a good gray 

 the case is difierent. He loves his cage as 

 much as you love your home, and if you open 

 the cage-door when all is quiet, he will at 

 once explore the room, and be as thoroughly 



