132 Bird - Lore 



for them. In fact, I know of a nest across the street from the post-office which 

 is in the heart of the city. There is also a nest in our climbing rose. 



This year I was favored with a trip to Cahfornia on which I took pleasure 

 in finding the truth about the Robins. In the spring, when I made the trip, 

 I did not see a single Robin until I visited Yosemite National Park; there they 

 were common and quite tame, too. They were probably nesting, but I did not 

 succeed in finding any nests. Again the 'Birds of California' says, "The nests 

 also of the western Robins that I have found have been somewhat different 

 from those of the eastern bird and very much prettier, being decorated with 

 moss woven in the mud instead of straw, and carefully lined with moss." This 

 is probably because moss is easier for the forest Robins to get than straw, and 

 in the city it would be almost impossible to get moss, so that the eastern birds 

 have acquired the habit of using straw and the California birds the habit of 

 using moss. Many of the nests in Portland have no moss in them. The nest 

 in our climbing rose has a foundation of twigs and straw and a mud cup lined 

 with grass. There is also much string and yarn, which I supplied, woven in. 

 I found a good many Robins' nests this year, built in many different ways and 

 in many different locations. One of them contained a great deal of moss, but 

 a great many had none. In most of them the lining was all pushed down into 

 the bottom of the nest by the time the birds were through with it. From one 

 nest straw hung down for over a foot, making it very conspicuous. 



Now the question arises. What makes the Robin nest far from the homes 

 of man in California, while in Oregon it is very tame? It seems to me the only 

 way to explain this difference is that it is due to climatic conditions. It might 

 be better to say that the Robin goes to the mountains where it is cool, rather 

 than to say that it goes far from the homes of man. By watching Robins on 

 a hot day it certainly is apparent that they do not like the heat. They keep 

 their bills wide open, panting, and I have seen an old male Robin spread its 

 wings out and lie down in a flower-bed as if from sunstroke. Then it would 

 get up and go on hunting for worms. The 'Handbook of Birds' says that the 

 Robin is shy and nervous in winter; but this is easily accounted for because 

 Robins are usually more nervous in winter anyhow. 



Individual peculiarities are often observed in birds, especially in the Robin 

 since it is so common. I once saw a Robin with a very curved bill, the upper 

 mandible extending far out beyond the lower. The other day I saw a young 

 Robin, the speckles being very prominent, molding an old nest. The nest was 

 nearly torn to pieces, but the young bird arranged it with its bill and molded 

 it with its breast as if it were building a new nest. However, nothing ever 

 came of it as the task was abandoned before anything was accomplished. This 

 may be a proof that the bird was working an account of an instinct which 

 matured too soon. — Tom McCamant, Portland, Ore. 



[The spirit of investigation, careful observation, and comparative study shown in 

 this composition written by a boy of thirteen, deserve commendation. — A. H. W.j 



