FOOD IN SUMMER. 87 



ing the proceedings, and the cock bird contenting himself 

 with looking on from the outside.' 



Wood observes that i This bird is by no means easily 

 disturbed in its nest, and especially when thus built in 

 holes of walls, it will allow itself to be handled without 

 deserting. On one occasion especially, I remember to have 

 caught a female on her nest, six times in a single day, and I 

 even went so far as to cage her for a few minutes, and yet she 

 hatched her eggs successfully. My friend Dr. Liverpool 

 informs me that he has known this bird to sit so close, as 

 to allow herself to be removed with her nest and eggs into 

 a cage, where she continued sitting until she died from 

 starvation. From this Dr. L. infers she had been accus- 

 tomed to be supplied with food on the nest by the 

 male.' 



During the summer the food of the Redbreast consists 

 almost entirely of worms, larvae, and insects; and this, accord- 

 ing to Macgillivray, is how he forages : l There he stands 

 under the hedge as if listening or survey ing the neighbour- 

 hood, his body inclined, his wings drooping, his head a little 

 raised and his full and humid eye beaming with a mild 

 lustre. Now he starts, hops forward a short way, and picks up 

 something which he has espied, resumes his former attitude, 

 observes a worm, partially protruded and wriggling among 

 the grass, attacks it, and wrenches off a goodly piece, which 

 he divides into morsels and swallows. And thus he goes 

 on all day, taking matters quite coolly, seldom appearing 

 in a hurry, but gleaning the small dainties which the 

 bounteous hand of Providence has spread around for his 

 use. When disturbed, he flies into the hedge, or perches 

 on the wall, where he stands for a while, and then perhaps 

 amuses himself with a sweet little song. Although simple, 

 and composed of few notes, this melody varies consider- 

 ably at different times and seasons.' 



In 1843 there was to be seen, said a local paper, in the 

 house of Mr. Brook, surgeon, at Stansted, in Essex, a 

 Robin's nest built between the candlestick -on the mantel- 

 piece and the kitchen fire-place ; it had four eggs, on which 

 the old bird was sitting. Whether she hatched her brood 

 and reared them in this singular place, we did not learn. 



