330 KNOWING BIRDS THROUGH STORIES 



soft mud, the mother bird hopped into it and wallowed 

 first one way and then another until she had not only 

 pressed this mud well into the nest material, but had 

 shaped it to fit her body. Next, before this was dry, it was 

 lined with soft fine grass, neatly woven together and se- 

 curely stuck to the mud. 



Robins do not require mud in order to build a nest, 

 however. I saw one only recently that had no mud at all 

 in its structure. 



When the nest was finished mother robin laid five light 

 greenish blue eggs in as many days and then started sit- 

 ting. She paid no attention when a member of the family 

 came near. Any of us might walk up within two or three 

 feet of her and stand gazing as long as we chose and she 

 never showed the least trace of fear; but let a stranger 

 come into the yard and she left the nest immediately. I 

 sometimes attempted to show friends how tame the bird 

 was, but I fear many of them thought I had been telling 

 them a fish story rather than a robin story, for I never 

 could succeed in demonstrating the bird's tameness to 

 them; mother robin recognized as fully as I that they did 

 not belong on the place and she was not sure what their 

 motives were. 



When the young birds hatched, it was interesting to 

 watch their daily menu. The robin feeds on almost any- 

 thing except carrion. Early in the morning the young 

 birds were usually given a breakfast of angleworms with 

 cutworms for dessert. As soon as the sun was well up their 

 diet changed and they began to be supplied with 

 caterpillars of various sorts, an occasional grasshopper, 

 and (when it could be obtained) fresh fruit. Fruit was 

 fed sparingly, however. Even in cherry season, when the 



