80 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
other birds, except that he makes an occasional 
unprovoked assault on the Hedgesparrow. 
There seems to be a strange popular notion in 
some counties, that the young Robins kill the old 
ones: this strange notion gave rise to a considerable 
discussion in the pages of the ‘ Zoologist,’ which 
ended without any convincing evidence being ad- 
duced in its favour.* For my own part I believe 
the theory to be quite as absurd as that which has 
arisen from the child’s story-book, of the marriage of 
Cock Robin and Jenny Wren. 
The Robin is another of the birds mentioned in 
M. Prevost’s list, according to which it would appear 
to be almost entirely insectivorous. ‘“ January, in- 
sects, worms and chrysalids; February, insects, 
worms and wood-lice; March, chrysalids and worms ; 
April, moths, eggs of insects, and cockchatffers ; 
May, grubs and beetles; June, flies, moths, spiders 
and worms; July, moths, butterflies and wood-lice ; 
August, the same, and worms; September, the same; 
October, eggs of insects and aquatic insects; No- 
vember, worms and chrysalids; December, chrysa- 
lids, grubs, and eggs of moths.” To the summer 
and autumn diet may be added a little fruit, such as 
currants and raspberries; and to the winter, bread- 
* As Yarrell gives an instance of one pair of Robins 
rearing three broods in the year, it is quite clear neither of 
the earlier broods perpetrated such a murder. 
