156 ROBIN ROOSTS. 



with a sprinkling of maples and other decid- 

 uous trees. It is bounded on the further 

 side by a wet meadow, and at the eastern 

 end by a little ice-pond, with a dwelling- 

 house and other buildings beside it, all within 

 a stone's throw of the wood. 



This discovery was made on the evening 

 of July 25th, and I at once crossed a narrow 

 field between the wood and the highway, and 

 pushed in after the birds. It was too dark 

 for me to see what was going on, but as I 

 brushed against the close branches the rob- 

 ins set up a lively cackling, and presently 

 commenced flying from tree to tree before 

 me as I advanced, though plainly with no 

 intention of deserting their quarters. The 

 place was full of them, but I could form no 

 estimate of their number. 



On the following evening I took my stand 

 upon a little knoll commanding the western 

 end of the wood. According to my notes, 

 the birds began to arrive about sunset, 

 but this was pretty certainly an error, and 

 though I did not undertake an exact count 

 until the flight was mainly over, it seemed 

 likely that at least three hundred passed in 

 at that point. This would have made the 



