8 Birds Every Child Should Know 



life to them just as bread is to children, but 

 robins destroy vast quantities of other worms 

 and insects more injurious to the farmers' crops, 

 so that the strawberries and cherries they take 

 in June should not be grudged them. 



A man of science, who devoted many hours of 

 study to learn the great variety of sounds made 

 by common barnyard chickens in expressing 

 their entire range of feeling, from the egg shell 

 to the axe, could entertain an audience de- 

 lightfully for an evening by imitating them. 

 Similar study applied to robins would reveal 

 as surprisingly rich results, but probably less 

 funny. No bird that we have has so varied a 

 repertoire as Robin Goodfellow, and I do not 

 believe that any boy or girl alive could recognise 

 him by every one of his calls and songs. His 

 softly warbled salute to the sunrise differs from 

 his lovely even-song just as widely as the 

 rapturous melody of his courting days differs 

 from the more subdued, tranquil love song to 

 his brooding mate. Indignation, suspicion, 

 fright, interrogation, peace of mind, hate, cau- 

 tion to take flight — these and a host of other 

 thoughts, are expressed through his flexible 

 voice. 



Toward the end of June, you may see robins 

 flying in flocks after sun-down. Old males and 

 young birds of the first brood scatter themselves 

 over the country by day to pick up the best 



