FEBRUARY, “THE LONG-SHORT MONTH” 327 
they are striped like the Thrushes; this marking dis- 
appears after their first moult. As for Robin himself, 
you know him well, but can any of you tell exactly the 
colour of his clothing?” 
Sarah and Tommy raised their hands at the same 
time, but as ladies come first, Sarah began: ‘He is 
gray on top, and red underneath, and he’s got white spots 
outside of his wings.” 
“Very good, indeed,” said Gray Lady; “but can you 
add anything to that, Tommy?” 
“Yes, ma’am; he’s black on top of his head, and he’s 
got a white chin and eye spot and a yellow beak.”’ 
“Why, Tommy, that is really very good; I didn’t know 
that any of you children had learned to look so care- 
fully and remember.” 
“T saw all that yesterday,” said Tommy, in a state 
of glee. “There came a flock of bran’-new fresh birds, 
and sat in the cedar bushes back of the barn, but they 
didn’t find many berries, because the winter birds have 
eaten them. Ma gave me some old cake to crumble 
up, and I put some on the top of the stone fence, and 
some right on the shed, and this morning when I first 
looked out, a couple of them were out there eating it, and 
I got a good square look at them. They liked that cake 
because it had currants in it.” 
“So Tommy is the first to report a ‘bran’-new’ Robin 
flock,” said Gray Lady. “Now that they have really 
come, will any of the others tell me what they know 
about Robins? Begin at Sarah’s end of the table.” 
“Robins build mud nests before there are any leaves 
to hide them, and cats often get them when they are 
