PERSONALITY IN BIRDS 227 



for a daily visit of inspection from his landlord and 

 relatives. He claims your respect ; anything more 

 demonstrative you may bestow upon the cat. 

 Having an old score against the genus homo that it will 

 take some time for the latter to wipe off, he reserves 

 for himself the right to make advances. These he will 

 make more readily if left alone. If you would give 

 him real pleasure, go about your business digging, 

 tinkering, wood- chopping, or whatever be your 

 special gift ; and when he observes that you have no 

 " intention " with him how birds hate " intention" 

 in man's acts and eyes he will close in and flit from 

 point to point to watch you. Leave your tools for a 

 while, and he will be down on them at once. That 

 is where a Robin meets a man. A spade handle is 

 a consuming mystery for him. Curiosity mixed with 

 a sense of risk marks his bearing whilst perched 

 upon it. He flits on to it and off again, as if it grew 

 warmer at each venture, fleeing headlong as if from 

 perching in the forbidden tree when the human 

 craftsman returns. There be some not Red- 

 breasts who also have their " spade-handle," and 

 seek not less curiously the purpose of the Craftsman 

 who wields it. 



Because the Robin is always with us ; because he 

 sings year in, year out ; because he haunts man and 

 his dwellings familiarly ; in short, because the Robin 

 is the Robin, and you may see him when you will 

 and hear him when you like, he is held lightly by 

 such as would have a bird, like a prophet, come from 

 a distance if he would find a following. Possibly he 

 might acquire dignity in the eyes of such if they 

 were told that he is next-of-kin to the Nightingale ; 



