EASTERN ROBIN 19 



because the bird is well able to defend it. In response to the chaDge in 

 conditions the robin has not only adopted many man-made structures 

 as a site for its nest, but has also accepted man as a neighbor, breeding 

 freely even in large cities in an environment completely changed from 

 that of long ago. At the present time there are probably many times 

 as many robins breeding in the United States as there were in Colonial 

 days. 



Frank L. Farley (MS.) makes an interesting comment on this sub- 

 ject in a letter to Mr. Bent: "During the last half century the robin 

 has increased in Alberta at least 100 percent. This is in about the 

 same ratio as the country has become settled. When the hard prairie 

 lands were broken up, it was noted that earthworms were absent, 

 but with the arrival of the settlers, it was not long before the worms 

 began to appear, especially in the gardens surrounding the buildings. 

 The birds increased in numbers at about the same rate as the growth 

 of garden space. It is believed that the settlers inadvertently in- 

 troduced the worms with the potted plants and shrubs which they 

 brought with them." 



There are many records in the literature of robins nesting in various 

 situations which were not available years ago, such as on a rail fence, 

 a fence post, a gate post, or a clothes-line post; Stanley Tess (1926) 

 reports a nest "on the top of a gate-post which forms part of the gate 

 itself. This is not a rarely used gate but, on the contrary, one in the 

 public stockyards where it shuts off the runway leading to the loading 

 platform." On buildings, nests have been placed on the ledge of a 

 window, on blinds, on rain pipes or gutters under the eaves, on a 

 rolled-up porch curtain, on a fire-escape, on beams inside or outside 

 of buildings, piazzas, or porches, sometimes several old nests showing 

 previous occupancy, and even on a lamp bracket in a dance hall. 

 H. P. Severson (1921) tells of a nest that was placed on a trolley wire; 

 "cars passed under this nest every few minutes, their trolley being 

 only a few inches below it. On each occasion the Robin stood up, 

 then settled back on the nest." A nest on a railroad signal gate was 

 observed by Ward W. Adair (1920): "This gate is swung from one 

 position to another perhaps fifty times in twenty-four hours. * * * 

 At night when the red light was placed in position, the signalman's 

 hands were always within a few inches of the bird." A nest may be 

 placed on top of a bird house, or on any open shelf, but Gilbert H. 

 Trafton (1907) tells of one that was actually in a bird-house. Wilbur 

 F. Smith (1920) reports three nests inside a blacksmith's shop, re- 

 spectively, on a wheel hub, on a smoke pipe, and "on some iron used 

 to re-tire wheels, and within eight feet of the anvil before which the 

 blacksmith worked most of the day." Access was provided for the 

 bird by removal of a windowpane. 



