174 ROBIN ROOSTS. 
Frog Pond and the Beacon Street Mall 1 
wonder whether the same trees are still in 
use for the same purpose), where, after 
much noise and some singing, they retired 
to’ rest, — if going to sleep in a leafless 
treetop can be called retiring. 
Whatever the origin and reason of this 
roosting habit, I have no doubt that it is 
universal. Middlesex County birds cannot 
be in any respect peculiar. Whoever will 
keep a close eye upon the robins in his neigh- 
borhood, in July and August, will find them 
at sunset flocking to some general sleeping- 
place. | 
It would be interesting to know how far 
they travel at such times. The fact that so 
many hundreds were to be seen at a point 
more than a mile away from the Belmont 
roost is significant; but I am not aware that 
any one.has yet made a study of this part of 
the subject. My own birds seemed to come, 
as a rule, by easy stages. In the long nar- 
row valley east of the roost, where I oftenest 
watched their approach, they followed ha- 
bitually — not invariably —a zigzag route, 
crossing the meadow diagonally, and for the 
most part alighting for a little upon a cer- 
