THE THRUSHES AND THEIR ALLIES. 



89 



THE ROBIN. 



With the exception of the English sparrow and possibly 

 the crow, the economic status of no American bird has been 

 discussed so fully and freely as that of the robin. Appear- 

 ing early in spring and remaining late in autumn in regions 

 where it does not reside throughout the year, commonly fre- 

 quenting lawns and meadows, building conspicuous nests 

 near the haunts of man, feeding freely upon the fruits of the 

 garden and orcliard, greeting the rising and the setting sun 



~^C79 __— _— ^==^^ 



THE ROBIN. 



{AJlcr Biological Survey.) 



with bursts of no mean melody, — these and other consider- 

 ations have combined to render the robin familiar to every 

 lover of the out-door world. 



The robin obtains most of its insect food upon the ground, 

 where it searches diligently for cutworms, white grubs, 

 ground-beetles, and allied creatures. One of the most 

 familiar sights of spring in the Northern States is that of 

 dozens of robins searching the grass of lawns and meadows 

 for food. These birds are decidedly gregarious, migrating in 

 flocks of considerable size and remaining together in the 



