164 ROBIN ROOSTS. 



our way among the trees, till, suddenly, one 

 of the trio struck a match and kindled a 

 blaze of dry twigs. The smoke and flame 

 speedily waked the sleepers ; but even then 

 they manifested no disposition to be driven 

 out. 



For curiosity's sake, I paid one early 

 morning visit to the roost, on the 30th of 

 July. It would be worth while, I thought, 

 to see how much music so large a chorus 

 would make, as well as to note the manner 

 of its dispersion. To tell the truth, I hoped 

 for something spectacular, a grand burst 

 of melody, and then a pouring forth of a 

 dense, uncountable army of robins. I ar- 

 rived about 3.40 (it was still hardly light 

 enough to show the face of the watch), and 

 found everything quiet. Pretty soon the 

 robins commenced cackling. At 3.45 a 

 song sparrow sang, and at the same moment 

 I saw a robin fly out of the wood. Five 

 minutes later a robin sang; at 3.55 another 

 one flew past me ; at four o'clock a few of 

 the birds were in song, but the effect was 

 not in any way peculiar, very much as if 

 two or three had been singing in the ordi- 

 nary manner. They dispersed precisely as 



