ROBIN 



EnthacMs rubecula 



F all our British birds, there is not one which is such a 

 general favourite as the Robin : it is so trustful, so cheery, 

 and so bold. Wherever there is a house, however lowly, 

 the Robin is sure to be found ; and from the universal 

 protection which is given it by all, it is very widely 

 distributed, and is a well-known bird throughout Great 

 Britain and Ireland, wherever there is a sufficiency of 

 cover to afford it shelter. 



The haunts of the Robin vary slightly according to the season of the year. 

 In the depths of winter it draws nearer to the habitations of man, often actually 

 coming into the houses and picking up any tiny scraps of food it can find. In 

 summer it is abundant in the most secluded parts of the woods and glens, 

 where it retires to rear its young, though every homestead, orchard, and garden 

 has its pair of these confiding little birds nesting in them. In the early autumn 

 the Robin is not so often seen, as at that season it usually retires to the depths 

 of the woods and plantations to perform its annual moult, returning anon with 

 brighter plumage to cheer us with its presence through the long winter months. 

 Like the Hedge-Sparrow the Robin is a bird of the hedgerows, thickets, 

 and undergrowth, frequenting the shelter of evergreens, heaps of hedge clippings, 

 and stacks of pea-sticks. It seldom flies any distance, preferring to seek safety 

 among the denser parts of the undergrowth through which it creeps and shuffles 

 with amazing rapidity. Even when performing its yearly wanderings it rarely 

 flies any great distance at a time, or rises to any height in the air. It is a 

 restless little bird, and is almost constantly in motion, hopping out from under 

 the evergreens to pounce upon some worm or insect, and hastening back to its 

 shelter on the slightest suspicion of danger. When the gardener is digging 

 up some bed of rich soil the Robin is sure to be there watching him, gliding 

 VOL. in. u 75 



