232 THE CLERK OF THE WOODS 



all the world may hear him. Soon he and 

 the downy will begin their amorous drum- 

 ming on dry stubs and flakes of resonant 

 bark. 



This was early in the morning. Since 

 then I have been over to the cattle pasture, 

 and in it found a flock of ten or twelve 

 robins. They were feeding in the grass, but 

 at my approach flew into some savin trees 

 and fell to eating berries. As seems to be 

 always true at this time of the year, they 

 were in splendid color, and apparently in the 

 very pink of physical condition ; their bills 

 were never so golden, it seemed to me, nor 

 their heads* so velvety black, nor their eyelids 

 so white. They would not sing, but it was 

 like the best of music to hear them cackle 

 softly as they flew from the grass into the 

 cedars. Say what you will, the robin is a 

 pretty fine bird, especially in March. 



