EASTERN ROBIN 27 



nest. By this method it was estimated the birds brought to the young approxi- 

 mately two grams of food at each visit, or a daily feeding of 200 grams of animal 

 matter to the nestlings, be they three, four, or five. 



The estimate is high for the early days in the nest and low for the days immedi- 

 ately preceding the time of leaving the nest. It is thought to be fairly accurate 

 and, at least, gives some clue to the amount of food eaten. Robins feed their 

 young, apparently regardless if there be three or five, approximately 3.2 pounds 

 of food during the two weeks while in the nest. The observations were made 

 several weeks before cherries ripened and, because of this, the food consisted 

 almost entirely of animal matter. 



In a more recent article Dr. Hamilton (1943) gives the following 

 interesting analysis "of 200 Kobin droppings collected between May 

 1 and June 12, 1942. The figures indicate the percentage of fre- 

 quency of occurrence of the different food items. 



"Plants, 81.5: barberry, 61.0; sumach, 29.0; coral berry, 4.5. 



"Animals, 93.5: beetles, *** 82.5; millipedes, 38.5; ants, *** 27.0; 

 cutworms, 9.5; sowbugs, 6.5; wireworms, 4.0; flies, 3.0; cockroaches, 

 1.5." 



A. W. Perrior (1899) writes that the young birds are sometimes fed 

 on hairy caterpillars, the "larvae of Clisicocampa (probably C. ameri- 

 cana)"; Lotta A. Cleveland (1923) says that in 1922 the 17-year 

 locusts on their emergence from the ground were used extensively as 

 food for the young; John C. Phillips (1927) reports a remarkable 

 instance of robins catching trout fry at the State Hatchery at Sutton, 

 Mass.; A. C. Bent (MS.) speaks of the robins' fondness for crab 

 apples; and Floyd Bralliar (1922) tells of the intoxicating effect of 

 the berries of the "umbrella china" tree. "They fall to the ground," 

 he says, "and lie on their side, occasionally feebly fluttering, appar- 

 ently as happy as any drunkard in his cups." 



One of the familiar features of summer to those of us who live in 

 the Northern States within sight of a bit of greensward is the patrol 

 of the robins over the grass in search of earthworms. Almost every 

 little New England village has its common, a level bit of "green" near 

 the town center, and these grass plots, from April, when the worms 

 begin to stir, until the parching droughts of August dry up the grass, 

 become the feeding grounds of all the robins in the neighborhood. 



Sometimes half a dozen or more birds, widely scattered, may be 

 seen running over the closely cropped grass, generally in amity, al- 

 though sometimes one will fly at another and drive him off a little way. 

 The birds take a short, straight run with a quick, tripping gait, then 

 pause to look or listen for their prey. As they run, the back is nearly 

 parallel to the ground, and the head is drawn back and settled between 

 the shoulders, in the position of a decoy duck. When they stop to 

 investigate the grass, they lean forward, turning the head to one side, 

 bringing eye or ear to bear on a suspected spot, resembling the little 



