ROBIN ROOSTS. 163 
Toward the close of August I became in- 
terested in the late singing of several whip- 
poorwills, and so was taken away from the 
robins’ haunt at the hour of sunset. Then, 
from the 5th to the 13th of September, I 
was absent from home. On the night of my 
return I went to the shore of the pond, where, 
on the Ist of August, I had counted 15338 
entries. The weather was favorable, and I 
arrived in good season and remained till the 
stars came out, but I counted only 187 rob- 
ins! It was plain that the great majority 
of the congregation had departed. 
As I have said, there was little to be 
learned by going into the wood after the 
robins were assembled. Nevertheless I used 
frequently to intrude upon them, especially 
as friends or neighbors, who had heard of 
my ‘‘discovery,” were desirous to see the 
show. The prodigious cackling and rustling 
overhead seemed to make a deep impression 
upon all such visitors, while, for myself, 
I should have had no difficulty in credit- 
ing the statement had I been told that ten 
thousand robins were in the treetops. One 
night I took two friends to the place after it 
was really dark. All was silent as we felt 
