CHAPTER XIII. 



THE ROBIN FAMILY 



(Motacillida}. 



The Blue Robin The Pekin Robin The Australian 



Robin. 



[OBINS are pretty widely distributed, and 

 [I representatives of the family are to oe 

 met with nearly everywhere, though they 

 differ a good deal from each other in 

 size, colour, and habits. 



THE BLUE ROBIN, Sialia wilsonii (illustrated at 

 Fig. 23), is a very handsome bird from North America. 

 It is somewhat larger than our familiar redbreast. 

 All the upper parts of the body of the male are dark 

 sky-blue, the breast and under-surface reddish-brown, 

 except the vent, which is white ; the female is smaller, 

 and her blue coat is shaded with grey. 



These birds frequently breed in confinement, but 

 do not always rear the young. The proper food is 

 ants' eggs, mealworms, insects of all kinds, and bread 

 and milk, or custard made of egg and milk, a little 

 raw meat occasionally, and the yolk of hard-boiled 

 e gg- 



