A Much-used Robin's Nest 



By A. D. DuBOIS, Chicaeo. 111. 



I 



N the fall of igog we moved into an 

 old frame house and I established 

 my 'den' on the second floor. The 

 room had two windows. Near one of 

 them, at the corner of the building, was 

 a down-spout for conducting rain-water 

 from the roof. At the offset in this 

 conductor pipe, saddled securely on the 

 elbow against the house, was an old 

 Robin's nest, well sheltered from rain 

 by the projecting eaves. 



The following spring, on April 24, 

 we watched a Robin gathering material 

 for repairs, and the next day saw her 

 sitting on this nest under the eaves. On 

 the 26th, at 7 a.m., an examination, by 

 means of a mirror, disclosed one egg in 

 the nest. The second egg was deposited 

 during the same morning, the third dur- 

 ing the latter part of the morning of the 

 27 th, and the fourth on the morning of the 

 28th. During the intervals of laying, the 

 bird spent a part of her time on the nest 

 but was frequently observed in the horse- 

 chestnut tree just opposite the window. 

 On the afternoon of May 15 there were four young Robins in this nest, 

 and the female was bringing them worms. By the 23d the young were large 

 and well feathered and their father was in full fighting trim. When I went to 

 the open window to look out at the nest, he dashed at my head, striking me a 

 sharp blow on the forehead. 



The young left the nest on May 24, twenty-six days after the last egg was 

 deposited, and were at once able to fly. It was the last that we expected to see 

 of the Robin family, and we left them to feed in the garden or on the lawn. 

 The next spring, under date of April 15, our journal relates that a Robin 

 flew up and sat on the nest under the eaves. Again, on the 21st, the bird was 

 seen to fly to the nest and, the next morning, while sitting at my desk, I saw 

 a Robin gather mud, across the street, and fly with it to the eaves nest. At 

 8 a.m. on the 24th she was sitting on the nest, and when she left, at 8.30, the 

 nest contained one egg. The fourth and last egg of this set was deposited 

 during the morning of the 26th. 



(151) 



THE MUCH-USED NEST AND ITS 

 HUNGRY OCCUPANTS 



