BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



female robin that was nesting there. She scolded him so 

 soundly for trespassing upon his own property, which she 

 had appropriated, that he could have no peace. He 

 finally left her in possession till her young had flown.* 

 I had a similar experience when picking cherries in a 

 friend's garden. A robin had preceded me and resented 

 my intrusion in no uncertain manner. No angry fish- 

 monger of Billingsgate ever hurled more noisy vitupera- 

 tion at a thief than did that robin fling at me, especially 

 when I coolly refused to heed his commands to "Keep 

 Off"." 



I recall an amusing experience with a robin family one 

 summer. The second brood of hungry babies were clam- 

 oring for "More," and following their overworked father 

 about as I have seen human babies tease their mothers. 

 He was decidedly "frayed" as to temper, but he chose to 

 assume the entire parental responsibility. His faded, be- 

 draggled spouse, perched disconsolately upon the roof of 

 the chicken-house, flew down two or three times into the 

 bosom of the family and endeavored to "do her bit"; but 

 her testy husband drove her off" each time with a sharp 

 tut-tut, until in despair she remained upon the ridge-pole 

 peeping forlornly. The father proceeded to pull up 

 worms for his gaping brood in a manner so irritated and 

 strenuous that I wondered whether he had had a "family 

 jar," or was only worn out with anxiety and overwork. It 

 is a huge task to feed one baby robin alone, who can eat 

 sixty-eight angleworms a day, ^ or one hundred and sixty- 

 five cutworms.* 



1 From "Under the Maples," by John Burroughs, p. 55. 



2 Prof. D. Treadwell. 



3 Mr. Chas. W. Nash. 



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