The Redbreast. 213 



insects and worms form the chief part of its diet; 

 but in the summer it feeds largely on fruit and 

 berries. Gilbert White, indeed, gave it as his 

 opinion that, " notwithstanding the prejudices in 

 their favour, they do much mischief in gardens to 

 the summer fruit." In the winter they may be 

 said to be omnivorous, nothing coming amiss to 

 them a fact which can be vouched for by those 

 who are in the habit of throwing down food for 

 birds during hard weather. 



Its song, continued as it is " the year round, 

 hard frost excepted," would, had it nothing else to 

 recommend it, make this bird a universal favourite. 

 Many suppose that it is only an autumn and winter 

 songster; but this is a mistake, for, as we have 

 said, it sings at all seasons, but in the spring and 

 summer its sweet little song is lost in the chorus of 

 louder voices. 



Belon, a French naturalist of the sixteenth 

 century, published, among other works, a quaint 

 book called " Portraits d'Oyseaux, Animaux, &c.," 

 which, as the title implies, contains figures of birds, 

 and, to use the writer's own words, is " enrichy 

 de Quatrains pour plus cognoisance des Oiseaux et 

 autres For trait s," in which he writes as follows of 

 the redbreast : 



Au Rossignol de muraille ressemble 

 La Gorge-Rouge, en chant armonieuse. 

 Elle en hyver apparoist fort ioyeuse, 

 Luy en este aupres de nous s'assemble. 



The comparison of its song with that of the 



