19 



a brown. And yet Mr. Gould savs it is al)undant in all 

 parts of Europe, in all the islands of the Mediterranean, 

 and in Madeira and the Azores. And then he says — 

 (now notice the puzzle of this), — " In many parts of the 

 Continent it is a migrant, and, contrary to Avhat obtains 

 with us, is there treated as a vagrant, for there is scarcely 

 a country across the water in which it is not shot down 

 and eaten." 



" In many parts of the Continent it is a migrant." In 

 what parts — hoAV far — in what manner? 



18. Ill none of the old natural history books can I find 

 any account of the robin as a traveller, but there is, for 

 once, some sufficient reason for their reticence. lie has a 

 curious fancy in his manner of travelling. Of all birds, 

 you would think he was likely to do it in the cheerfullest 

 way, and he does it in the saddest. Do you chance to 

 have read, in the Life of Chai-les Dickens, how" fond he 

 was of taking: lon^: walks in the nis^ht and alone ? The 

 robin, en voyage, is the Charles Dickens of birds. He 

 always travels in the night, and alone ; rests, in the day, 

 wherever day chances to find him ; sings a little, and pre- 

 tends he hasn't been anywhere. He goes as far, in the 

 winter, as the north-west of Africa ; and in Lombardy, 

 arrives from the south early in March ; but does not stay 

 long, going on into the Alps, where he prefers wooded 

 and wild districts. So, at least, says my Lombard in- 

 formant. 



I do not find him named in the list of Cretan birds ; 



