16 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



While tlie female robin is confined to the 

 nest, the male brings her food when she is 

 hungry, and sits on the same tree Avith her, 

 or on one near by, and sings his song of love 

 from morning till night. The robin is a most 

 devoted husband. 



It is very generally supposed that the robin 

 who appears among ns early in the spring, and 

 who is so general a favorite, is the same bird 

 which goes by the name of the robin red-breast 

 in England. But this is a mistake. There is 

 quite a difference between the two birds. Still 

 there are so many pleasant associations con- 

 nected with the red-breast of the father-land, 

 that it seems almost a pity to be obliged to 

 admit that there is such a difference. So, in 

 these stories, I will treat them as if they be- 

 longed to the same family. They are, indeed, 

 much alike in many of their habits, and neither 

 family need complain that, for the sake of con- 

 venience, I have classed them together. 



I remember once having killed a robin with 

 a stone. I did it rather through carelessness 

 than by design. The robin was as busy as he 

 could be picking currants in our yard, when I 

 threw a stone at him, to frighten him away. 

 The stone hit the poor fellow, however — 

 strange enough, I always thought, for I was 



