THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 225 
end to her misery. The cruel spike was thrust through the skin and under- 
lying connective tissue of the throat in a horizontally ascending direction, 
and the bird was hanged with her feet dangling in her own nest. One egg, 
entire but stained with ordure, and a sodden mass of broken eggs besides, 
bere witness with sad eloquence to the tragedy. 
In spite of the law-makers, who knew exactly what they were doing in 
declaring the Robin worthy of protection, thousands of these birds are an- 
nually slaughtered by unthinking people because of their fondness for cher- 
ries and other small fruits. And yet we are assured by competent authorities 
that cultivated fruit forms only four per cent of the Robin’s food through- 
out the year, while injurious insects constitute more than one-third.! Robins 
are provoking in the cherry trees, especially when they bring the whole family 
and camp out ; but there is one way to limit their depredations without destroy- 
ing these most distinguished helpers: plant a row of mulberry trees, preferably 
the Russian Mulberry, along the orchard fence, and the birds will seek no fur- 
ther. I have seen a mulberry tree swarming with Robins, while neighboring 
fruit trees were almost untouched. The plan is simple, humane, and effica- 
cious. 
1 Butler: Birds of Indiana, p. 1160. 
