54 THE EEDBREAST. 



The food of the Eedbreast in spring and summer consists 

 chiefly of worms and insects, but, as the season advances, 

 berries and garden fruit are also to some extent eaten by it. 

 When digging is going on in the garden, it may often be 

 seen flying down from its perch on some adjoining bush, 

 and with confidence alighting within a few feet of the 

 gardener, to feed upon any small worms which the spade 

 may turn up. During winter it leaves the woods and 

 plantations, and frequents farm -yards, stables, cattle-sheds, 

 ashpits, and the like, to pick up what food it can find.^ In 

 apparent allusion to this habit. Sir David Lindsay says in 

 The Complaynt of Scotland : — the " Eobeen and the litil 

 Vran var hamely in vyntir." ^ With the occurrence of the 

 first snow-storm it draws closer to our doors and windows, 

 and some morning soon afterwards, when the snow lies 

 thickly over the ground, and the frost is severe, we find that 



. The old Robin has come 

 To remind us with tip-tapping bill, 

 That his morning rej)ast of the delicate crumb, 

 Should be spread for him now on the sill. 



Cook. 



It has been observed that the same Eobin sometimes comes 

 for three or four years in succession to a particular window, 

 to be fed with crumbs. This was noticed at a window 

 of my father's house at Salton, in East-Lothian, when I was 

 a boy, during the severe winters which occurred when our 

 soldiers were in the Crimea, the bird being recognised by its 

 having a twisted foot.^ 



1 Mr. Hardy writes that he has seen it frequenting the caverns on the sea-coast 

 in winter. — J/ (S^ Notes. 



- The Complaynt of Scotland, p. 60. 



3 Mr. Hewitson mentions a similar instance in his Eggs of British Birds, vol. i. 

 p. 100 ; and so does Mr. St. John in his Natural History and Sport in Moray, 

 p. 116. Mr. Hardy records in his MS. Notes, that a Robin frequented the 

 window of Mrs. Sinclair's house in Eyemouth, for several winters in succession, 

 about 1844. 



