i8 Birds of Lewiston-Auburn 



of March and departs the last of October, though strag- 

 glers may be seen later, occasionally in the winter. April 

 3, 191 7, a pair commenced building a nest on a porch of 

 one of the houses near the city. Two or three broods are 

 reared each season. 



I do not know as it is universal, but in many cases the 

 males go every night to roosting places and as soon as a 

 brood can fly they take the young to these roosts. 



Burroughs says there is something military in the 

 robin's song. Its first spring note in March awakes us 

 to the realization that spring is here. Because of its dem- 

 ocratic and neighborly ways the robin's note is known to 

 every one. Probably most of us remember learning from 

 a mother the joy of that early spring song. 



In midsummer it loses its loquacity, but even into 

 autumn bursts forth now and then with the familiar strain. 

 In October I have heard a flock uttering their "laughing" 

 song, a "cheery call full of joy and vivacity" as they fed 

 on the mountain ash berries as if it were their last play 

 time before leaving for the south. 



The name was given by the Pilgrims. After the ter- 

 rible winter of 1620-21 these "red-breasted" birds 

 appeared at Plymouth reminding the people so much of 

 the English robin that they called them robins. From 

 that day till now this thrush has been called the Ameri- 

 can Robin. 



3. (759b) HERMIT THRUSH 



During my student days when gathering botany speci- 

 mens a sweet, solitary song was heard as the evening 

 shadows fell. I kept wondering what bird I enjoyed so 

 much till a friend well versed in ornithology told me it 

 was the Hermit Thrush, and there began my bird-study. 



