The A. M. S.* Robins 



By O. C. WOOD, Denver, Colo 

 With Photographs by the Author 



THIS story has to do with two pair of Robins that made their home 

 close to the Agnes Memorial Sanitarium, where they were a delight to 

 the patients. One pair built their nest in a small pine about fifty feet 

 from my porch, and not over four feet from the ground. I had this nest 

 under observation at all times. The other pair built their nest on the other side 

 of the pavilion, on a box intended for House Finches, and which was tied to a 

 porch column. The fact that beds were occupied on the porch throughout 

 the day and people coming and going close at hand did not disturb the 

 Robins during building operations or later. 



The first nest, in due course of time, had three eggs and the second nest 

 had four eggs. Fortunately, as it proved, I knew that incubation began at 

 both nests within twelve hours of each other. 



Had Mother Robin of four eggs not been so trustful of all human beings 

 and gone farther afield to get her evening meal she might not have lost her 

 life. But she ran afoul of a thoughtless, heartless creature with a gun and 

 here ensued the first tragedy among our Robins. I knew of the killing in a 

 short time after it occurred. Then the question came to me, Will Cock Robin 

 assume the responsibilities of the household? I was convinced in a short time 

 that he could not be depended upon. Whether or not he knew of his mate's 

 death, he at least knew that she was absent from her post of duty, and was 

 calling for her from various points of vantage. 



I decided to try an experiment and took the nest and transferred all four 

 eggs to the other nest in the pine tree with its original three eggs, taking care 

 not to touch the eggs with my hands. Mother Robin flew a short way off while 

 the eggs were being placed in the nest, but as soon as I walked away a short 

 distance, she came back, cast a few inquiring glances at a more than doubled 

 clutch of eggs, settled herself on them apparently contented. 



Instead of her three prospective progeny, Mother Robin now faced the 

 possibility of seven. And seven young Robins hatched in three days from the 

 time the extra eggs were placed in the nest. Six of the eggs hatched within 

 so many hours of each other, the seventh egg about twelve hours later, a cir- 

 cumstance which doubtless made this bird the weakling of the brood. 



Now Cock Robin enters the scene and shares responsibilities. Heretofore 

 he spent part of his time in the top of a tall tree, calling his cheery song 

 to his mate on the nest and the world in general, and part of his time he 

 spent picking up choice worms at his various meal-times. However, I did 

 not see him take a worm to his mate at the nest; he allowed her to find 

 them for herself. 



* Agnes Memorial Sanitarium, Denver, Colo. 



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