EASTERN ROBIN 25 



Melanism, the excess of black pigment in the plumage, is much less 

 common, but it occurs occasionally. Sometimes both phases of 

 abnormal plumage may occur in the same individual, and either may 

 be replaced by normal plumage at the next molt. For further infor- 

 mation on albinism, melanism, and other items about robins, the 

 reader is referred to a series of papers by Dr. Earl Brooks, published 

 in the Indiana Audubon Society's Yearbooks for 1931 to 1935. 



Hugh M. Halliday has sent me a beautiful series of photographs 

 (pi. 5) of a pair of nesting robins, one pure white and the other in 

 normal plumage; they have been mated together and nested for three 

 successive years at 78 Broadway Avenue, Toronto; they have raised 

 two broods of three and one brood of four young during the three 

 years, all of which have developed normally colored plumage.] 



Food. — Waldo L. McAtee (1926), in his study of the relation of 

 birds to woodlots, makes a distinction between the food of the wood- 

 land robins and those which live in our dooryards. He writes the 

 following comprehensive report of the robins' food: 



Our knowledge of the feeding habits of the Robin is based mainly of course on 

 studies of the bird as it ordinarily occurs, near to man and his works. We do 

 not have particular information on the mode of life of the woodland Robins. 

 We may, however, be assured on two points, namely that cultivated fruits do not 

 play the part in the diet of these birds that they do in the case of our (in this 

 respect, too familiar) neighbors, and that wild berries therefore are of much greater 

 importance to this fruit-loving bird. 



Like the true thrushes the Robin approves of a 60-40 dietary composition, but 

 in a reverse sense, the larger item in its case being vegetable rather than animal 

 food. There is no question about Robins sometimes taking too much cultivated 

 fruit, thus necessitating reduction in their numbers. However, the woodland 

 Robins with which we are here especially concerned have little or no part in these 

 depredations, and their fruit-eating is a benefit rather than an injury because it 

 results in the planting of numerous trees and shrubs. The favorite wild fruits of 

 New York robins are those of red cedar, greenbrier, mulberry, pokeweed, june- 

 berry, blackberry and raspberry, wild cherry, sumac, woodbine, wild grape, dog- 

 wood, and blueberry. 



Beetles and caterpillars are the items of animal food taken in greatest quantity 

 by the Robin, with bugs, hymenoptera, flies, and grasshoppers of considerably 

 less importance. Spiders, earthworms, millipeds, sowbugs, and snails are addi- 

 tional sorts of animal food worth mentioning. 



Various insects which are pests or near pests in woodlots have been identified 

 from stomachs of Robins and we may be sure that a special study of Robins 

 actually living in forests would greatly increase the list. * * * 



In the economic court the Robin of the forest, and the Robin of the houseyard, 

 must be adjudged separately, and regardless of the fact that it is differences in 

 opportunities largely, that gives the former a much better character than the 

 latter. The forest Robin has no chance at cultivated fruits and it has much 

 greater opportunities to devour woodland insect pests. As we have seen, it im- 

 proves these opportunities and should be credited accordingly. In the woodlot 

 the Robin is certainly more beneficial than injurious. 

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