REPORT ON .THE KOBIX. 7< 



trustful behavior of the foreign bird is represented in the l)okI and dar- 

 ing impudence of our own species. The increase of gardens and of 

 horticultural operations, and the attendant increase of insects and smaller 

 fruits, have emboldened several other birds to visit such places on very 

 familiar terms. The earliness of our seasons, in their bright sunshine, 

 ripens and prepai'es a miscellaneous food for birds, when rearing their 

 young. Those whose instincts prompt them to seek insect food are 

 wonderful entomologists, flnding in the air the first denizens of that ele- 

 ment which the vernal breeze awakens to life. If this fails by cold and 

 snowy weather, a consequent destruction among their ranks occurs. Of 

 these the swallow tribe is familiar instance, and though one swallow does 

 not make summer, yet its appearance tells that its food has preceded its 

 coming. 



Tho A'n3rican r^bin belong.^ to the thrushes, a large tamily, and i-ep- 

 resented in the fauna of Asia, Europe, Africa and America. Some of 

 the finest songsters are to be found among them, but their habits seem 

 to be nearl^g the same in every country. Worms, insects, snails and 

 fruits compose their food, and in Europe, where the garden snails abound, 

 such a bird is very useful in destroying these very destructive creatures, 

 whose shelly coverings protect them from external injury. 



Although the thrushes are classed by Nuttall among the insectivorous 

 birds, it is evident that insects are but a portion of their food. The robin 

 is the only thrush whose habits we can readily notice, and the immunity 

 it has enjoyed renders it so bold that no ordinary means prevent its 

 visits on predatory excursions. The cherry, strawberry, raspberry, 

 blackberry and even pear are all laid under contribution, but we suspect 

 that this propensity to feed on fruit obtains most when the young need 

 some variety in diet. We are led to this opinion by noticing that sud- 

 denly, and as it were at once, some vines of the Dorchester blackberry 

 were unmolested, after repeated and continued feeding on the berries as 

 soon as they were soft and ripe. As to its taking Avorms and larvse there 

 can be no doubt, but how much these enter into its diet we have no data. 

 Its fondness for the common earth-worm or angle worm, (Lumbricus 

 tei-restris,) seems to indicate that flesh or muscle, lean diet so to speak, 

 were to its taste. The skill, dexterity and patience with which it seeks 

 this worm does not seem to be pursued towards subterraneous larvse, al- 

 though I have the assurance of Dr. Brewer that it greedily devoured 

 the cut worm (the gray grub or larva of the Agrotis) which he laid aside 

 for rearing the perfect insects, and to obtain which the robin followed 

 his steps closely when in the garden. This gentleman also asserted that 

 some Andrews pears, on becoming red long before ripening, were picked' 

 and perforated by robins, and in consequence rotted on the tree. Mr. 

 Brackett, also of your Committee, considers in view of such facts, that 

 the food of this bird may be much more miscellaneous than is supposed. 



