270 ERITHACUS RUBECULA. 



built. The outside of it was composed of the stalks of dried 

 horehound, ^Yhich I had sus^^euded from the roof as a medicine 

 for the cold, and the inside was lined with a few feathers, and 

 the down of the ragwort which I had there kept for my bul- 

 finch. It shews to what shifts birds have recourse when de- 

 prived of the proper materials for the construction of their nests. 

 About eight days after this, whilst I was sitting in the parlour, 

 my old friend flew in, and immediately recognised me. After 

 keeping him for two weeks I put him out, when he flew to the 

 garden, where he remained during the summer, and with his 

 partner reared a brood of six fine robins." 



This species is generally distributed, being found in all parts 

 of England and Scotland, and occasionally even in the bare 

 islands of the Outer Hebrides and Shetland. On the continent 

 it is stated to be very extensively dispersed and stationary even 

 in the coldest parts. There seems to be no reason for supposing 

 that any individuals leave this country in winter, or that any 

 accessions to the indigenous stock are made by migrants from 

 the north of Europe. 



The Robin, no doubt, is exposed to many enemies, but I am 

 not qualified to say any thing on the subject, not having met 

 with an instance of its capture by weasel or fitch et, hawk or 

 howlet. Whatever may be the quality of its flesh, its blood 

 has a singularly bitter and nauseous taste, as I happened acci- 

 dentally to ascertain by removing with my mouth some drops 

 from one which I intended for description. 



Young. — The young, which are at first sparingly covered 

 with loose down of a greyish-brown colour, are w^hen fledged 

 as follows : — The upper mandible is light purplish-brown, its 

 edges yellow, the sides and greater part of the lower mandible 

 yellowish, the end brown. The feet are yellowish flesh-colour, 

 the soles and heels yellow. The upper parts are variegated 

 with dusky olive and dull orange, there being a spot of the 

 latter on each feather ; the wings and tail olivaceous, the se- 

 condary coverts largely tipped with dusky orange ; the lower 

 parts are brownish-yellow, deeper on the breast, minutely 

 mottled with dark-brown, the tips and edges being of that 

 colour. 



