ROBIN ROOSTS. 161 



f ectly clear I hoped to make a gain upon all 

 my previous figures. But the fair weather 

 was perhaps a hindrance rather than a help ; 

 for the robins came later than before, and 

 more in a body, and continued to arrive long 

 after it was impossible to see them. I 

 counted 1480, 53 less than on the 1st. 



I attempted no further enumeration until 

 the 18th. Then, in an hour and ten min- 

 utes, 1203 birds were seen to enter the roost 

 at the eastern end. But they arrived more 

 than ever in flocks, and so late that for much 

 of the time I missed all except the compar- 

 atively small number that passed in my im- 

 mediate vicinity. Many were flying at a 

 great height, having come from a long 

 distance, as I inferred, and sometimes I 

 knew nothing of their approach till they 

 dropped out of the sky directly over the 

 wood. On this occasion, as well as on many 

 others, but chiefly during the latter part 

 of the season, it was noticeable that some 

 of the robins appeared to be ignorant of the 

 precise whereabouts of the roost; they flew 

 past it at first, and then, after more or less 

 circling about, with loud cackling, dived 

 hurriedly into the wood. I took special note 



