BIRDS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 283 



pine tree in the woods to a wall overgrown with ivy, an over- 

 hanging sand bank, or a shelf over a cottage door. The nest 

 is usually strengthened with mud, but not always. Last sum- 

 mer I found in a sand bank a nest that had no mud in its com- 

 position. It needed none, for it was sunk in the sand and 

 sheltered overhead by the overhanging turf. Apparently the 

 birds were wise enough to see that in this case the mud was 

 unnecessary. The Robin sometimes utilizes a hollow trunk 

 for its nesting place, as may be seen by the accompanying 

 cut, made from a photograph furnished by Mr. J. A. Farley. 



The Robin prefers to have a roof over its nest ; therefore 

 it usually places the nest in such a situation that the growing 

 leaves will shade it from the sun and shelter it from the rain ; 

 but it often takes refuge under some roof built by human 

 hands. Last summer I saw a Robin's nest built under the 

 projecting roof of a small, open railway station. There the 

 birds reared young, undisturbed by passengers or trains. 



The economic position of the Robin has been discussed 

 almost as freely as that of the English Sparrow or the Crow. 

 Many fruit growers have long looked upon the Robin as an 

 inveterate enemy, and it cannot be denied that this bird is 

 sometimes a serious pest to the grower of small fruits. It 

 is often asserted that the Robin and Catbird select the very 

 choicest fruits. Professor Beal, however, believes that this 

 is an error, and that the birds rather prefer wild fruit that is 

 insipid or disagreeable to man. 



My experience with birds in the strawberry bed con- 

 vinced me, nevertheless, that Robin and Catbird picked out 

 the reddest, ripest, and sweetest varieties in preference to all 

 others. To test this preference, I set out here and there a 

 plant of one of these varieties among the beds of more com- 

 mon fruit. In every case the birds found these plants and 

 took about all the fruit. But I am led to believe, from what 

 is known of their habits, that they selected this fruit by its 

 color rather than by its taste or quality. When the early 

 cherries are ripening, the birds attack the first point where a 

 cherry turns red. The choice early fruit is taken because 

 there is no ripe wild fruit, and at this season the birds have 

 had no juicy berries for months, and are "fruit hungry." 



