TURDID.E — THE THRUSHES. 27 



own weight Leing consumed by the young bird within twenty-four hours, 

 and, what is more, demonstrated to be necessary to its existence. 



In Massachusetts a few Kobins remain tliroughout the year, but the greater 

 proportion leave early in ISTovember, returning late in February or early in 

 March. 



The song of the Eobin is deservedly popular. While many of our l)irds 

 possess far superior powers of melody, and exhibit a much greater variety in 

 their song, there are none that exceed it in its duration or extent. It is the 

 first bird in spring to open and one of the last to close the great concert of 

 Nature. Their song is earnest, simple, and thrilling, and is said by Audubon 

 to resemble that of the European Blackbird, Turdus merida. 



The Eobin, when taken young, may be readily tamed, and soon becomes 

 contented and accustomed to confinement. They are devoted to their young, 

 watchful, attentive, and provident. They begin to construct their nest in 

 early spring before the trees put forth their leaves, and often in very exposed 

 positions. The size of the nest, in fact, makes concealment impossible. 

 These nests are sometimes placed in quite remarkable positions, such as 

 the beams of a ship partly finished, and where the carpenters were every 

 day at work, and similar situations indicating a great familiarity. Their 

 favorite place is the horizontal branch of an apple-tree, about ten feet from 

 the ground. 



The nest of the Robin is a large and coarsely constructed combination of 

 rude materials. It is composed of a base of straw, leaves, mosses, stems, 

 and dry grasses, upon which a cup-shaped fabric of clay or mud is built. 

 The whole is lined with finer dry grasses and vegetable fibres. They 

 average 5 inches in height and the same in diameter. Their cavity is 

 2f inches deep, with a diameter of 2i inches. 



The eggs of the Eobin, which are usually five and sometimes six in num- 

 ber, are of a uniform bright greenish-blue color, liable to fade when exposed 

 to light, but when fresh exhibiting a very distinct and bright tint. They 

 vary in size from 1.25 to 1.12 inches in length, and in breadth from .88 to 

 .75 of an inch. Their mean measurement is 1.18 by .81. 



Turdus migratorius, var. conflnis, Baird. 



CAPE ST. LUCAS ROBIN. 



Turdus confinis, Baird, Rev. Am. B. 1864, 29. — Elliot, Birds America. — Cooper, Birds 

 Cal., 9. 



Sp. Char. No. 23,789. Entire upper parts and sides of head and neck uniform grayish- 

 ash, with perhaps a faint tinge of ohvaceous, less than in eastern specimens of T. migra- 

 torius. The central portions of the feathers of the top of head are rather darker than the 

 edges, though almost inappreciably so, and not imparting a general dusky appearance. 

 The chin and throat are white, streaked with ashy-brown. The jugulnm and breast are 



