TUK HKDIiKIiA'^T. 169 



Dr. Jcnner has thus addressed the robin : — 



Come, sweetest of the f'eather'd throng! 



And soo'he me with thy plaintive sonfr: 



Come to ni}- cot, devoid of fear, 



No danger shall await thee here : 



No prowling cat, with whiskered face. 



Approaches this sequestered place: 



No schoolbo}- with his willow-bow 



Shall aim at thee a murderous blow : 



No wily lim'd twig ere molest 



Thy oli\e wing or crimson breast : 



Thy cup, sweet bird, I'll dailj- fill 



At yonder cressy. bubbling rill ; 



Thy board shall plenteou^j- be spread 



With crumblets of the nicest bread ; » 



And when rude w-inter comes and shows 



His icicles and shivering snows. 



Hop o'er my cheering hearth and be 



One of mj- peaceful family : 



Then soothe me with thy plaintive song. 



Thou sweetest of the feathered throng! 



The song of the robin attracts many, not only for its sweetness, but also for the indica- 

 tion which it aifords of the state of the atmosphere. When spring comes, he warbles for 

 a short time in so singular a str.iin as even to startle those who may be accustomed to 

 the ordinary notes of birds. Though the weather in summer may be unsettled and rainy, 

 he may sometimes be observed on the roof of a house, or on some topmost twig in the 

 evening, pouring forth his mellow notes with cheerful and hearty strain. Thus he is 

 regarded as a kind of barometer, for he foretels succeeding fine days. If, on the other 

 hand, the atmosphere be dry and warm, and he chirps or broods in a nest in melancholy 

 mood, many will augur an unfavourable change in the weather. In autimm his pij^ino-s 

 are heard, with their grave but sweet tones ; yet, he has been singing all through the 

 spring and summer. The reason of this is because, in these two seasons, his voice is 

 drowned and lost in the general chorus, while in autumn it is easily distinguishable. 

 The robin is one of the latest among birds to retire to roost, and one of the first that 

 may be found moving in the morning. 



During the summer the robin retires to the woods and thickets. He then loses his 

 " scarlet stomacher," and does not recover it till the autumn. This accounts for the 

 strange assertion of Pliny, who says, that it is only a redbreast in winter, but becomes a 

 fire-tail in summer. During the time of incubation, he drives all birds of his own species 

 from his little settlement, and furiously attacks every intruder that ventiu-es on his beat. 

 Notwithstanding his quarrelsome and selfish disposition, his seeming humbleness and 

 necessities win our pity in seasons of severity. 



" The redbreast, sacred to the household gods, 



"\^'isely regardful of the embroiling sky, 



In joyless lields and thorny thickets leaves 



His shivering mates, and pays to trusty man 



His annual visit. Ilalf-afraid, he first 



Against the window beats ; then brisk alights 



On the warm hearth ; then hopping o'er the floor 



Eyes all the family askance, 



And pecks, and starts, and wonders where he is ; 



Till more familiar grown, the table crumbs 



Attract his skndcr feet."* 



* Thomson. 



