ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 381 



houses. The Robin is an early migrant, usually arriving about 

 the first week in March, though often appearing in February and 

 remaining until the first of November. A few individuals fre- 

 quently remain throughout the winter. Thomas Say states that 

 they "arrived April 11, 1820, at Engineers' Cantonment" (I^ong's 

 Exp., i). 



J. E. Todd (Am. Nat., xiv, 1880, p. 601-2) .states: " In west- 

 ern Iowa, at about the same latitude (of Evan.ston, 111.) robins 

 remain in wooded valleys throughout the winter. Last Decem- 

 ber I observed them in flocks in the underbrush along the Mis- 

 souri River, opposite Plattsmouth, Neb. On the uplands, which 

 are about three hundred feet higher and more open, they are not 

 so frequently seen during the winter months." 



Chas. Aldrich noted Robins at Webster City in January and 

 February, 1881 (Am. Nat., xv, 1881, p. 477); and they were 

 observed at Muscatine, January i and 5, i88i,when the ground 

 was covered with snow and the thermometer down to zero (O. & 

 0., vi, I, 1 88 1, p. 7). Two were taken at Des Moines Nov. 25, 

 1895, by A. I. Johnson (Iowa Orn., ii, 2, 1896, p. 50). In Eee 

 county it was reported frequent in winter (Praeger, Currier) ; in 

 Linn county a few occasionally .spend the winter in protected 

 places (Keyes), and sometimes remain in Boone count}^ all win- 

 ter (Henning). In Winncl)ago county I shot a male from a 

 flock of five or six, Feb. 14, 1891, which is my earliest record for 

 that locality. The Robins are gregarious in fall, winter and early 

 spring; sometimes a, flock will number hundreds in October. 



The first set of eggs are laid about the middle of April and I 

 have found fresh eggs as late as July 14, at Forest City. Two 

 broods are generally reared. In summer the Robin generally 

 consumes a considerable quantity of berries and other small fruits, 

 but the immense quantities of worms and grubs which are de- 

 stroyed in the spring, and other in.sects in late summer, much 

 more than compensate for the damages inflicted. 



The Robin has unquestionably increased in numbers since the 

 settlement of the state. Audubon noted that Robins were verj' 

 scarcje near Council Bluffs May 10, 1843 (Journals, i, p. 481). In 

 1868, J. A. Allen states that they were " nowhere verj' common. 

 Seen chiefly along the skirts of the timber, in which it is forced 

 to breed, the prairies being, of course, naturally treeless, and the 



II'ROC. D. .A. S., Vol. XI.I 51 [Jan. 2S, 1907.] 



