ROBIN IWOSTS. 163 



Toward the close of August I became in- 

 terested in the late singing of several whip- 

 poor wills, and so was taken away from the 

 robins' haunt at the hour of sunset. Then, 

 from the 5th to the 13th of September, I 

 was absent from home. On the night of my 

 return I went to the shore of the pond, where, 

 on the 1st of August, I had counted 1533 

 entries. The weather was favorable, and I 

 arrived in good season and remained till the 

 stars came out, but I counted only 137 rob- 

 ins! It was plain that the great majority 

 of the congregation had departed. 



As I have said, there was little to be 

 learned by going into the wood after the 

 robins were assembled. Nevertheless I used 

 frequently to intrude upon them, especially 

 as friends or neighbors, who had heard of 

 my "discovery," were desirous to see the 

 show. The prodigious cackling and rustling 

 overhead seemed to make a deep impression 

 upon all such visitors, while, for myself, 

 I should have had no difficulty in credit- 

 ing the statement had I been told that ten 

 thousand robins were in the treetops. One 

 night I took two friends to the place after it 

 was really dark. All was silent as we felt 



