Comedy and Tragedy 99 



a young robin, put it back in the nest, and you will be called 

 upon within five minutes to repeat the operation. The dis- 

 tress of the old birds, when a youngster tumbles out, is pitiful. 

 Possibly in the course of a few eons they may discover the 

 secret of parental control. At one time I had under obser- 

 vation five robins' nests and six jays' nests. Five of the jay 

 broods were led forth into the world in safety, while disaster 

 came to four of the robin households. It is curious to note 

 that the pair of robins that succeeded in raising a brood built 

 the nest on a crossbeam between two pillars of a piazza which 

 was frequented by many people all through the day. It was 

 a cat neighborhood. The nest was so placed that Tom and 

 Tabby could not get at it, though they watched it daily from 

 every vantage point. This pair of robins had more sense than 

 most of the tribe. There were five robin children in the nest. 

 When the time came for them to leave, the male robin took 

 a perch just outside the nest and coaxed the two strongest of 

 the fledgeling birds to leave. They stood on the edge of the 

 nest while the father took three or four short flights by way 

 of example. Finally the two little ones launched out together, 

 and with their father at their side they succeeded in making 

 the first flight carry them a distance of fully forty yards. 

 They plumped to the ground pretty hard, but in a minute 

 they recovered, and their father soon urged them to another 

 effort, this time upward to the safe retreat of a heavy foliaged 

 tree. The other three young ones remained in the nest 

 twenty-four hours longer, and were then led forth by the 

 mother. For two weeks the brood remained in the vicinity 

 of the nest, the father caring constantly for the two that he had 

 elected to take in charge, while the mother looked after the 

 other three. I watched the birds constantly, and never saw 



