UNDER THE APPLE-TREES 



among the seeds. She did so, and it was not long 

 before the thrush began to examine them and taste 

 them doubtingly, but very soon he was eating them. 

 That afternoon his drooping wings were getting 

 back to their normal place, and in a day or two he 

 was a changed bird, brisk and bold, domineering 

 over the other birds, — in a very courteous way, 

 however, — and very much set up in life. 



A bird never appears emaciated; it will starve and 

 retain its plump appearance. Robins will famish 

 amid a world of seeds and grains. They must have 

 fruit or worms. Three years ago, while spending the 

 winter in Georgia, I had evidence that a vast num- 

 ber of robins starved to death in March. People 

 picked them up in their yards and in the fields and 

 along the edge of the woods. They seem to have 

 started north from Florida and the Gulf States too 

 soon. A sudden cold snap kept the worms and in- 

 sects below the surface of the ground, and there was 

 no fruit but the white, dry china-berries, and these 

 appear to poison or to paralyze the robins when they 

 eat them. In my walk one morning I picked up a 

 cock robin that was unable to fly. As it did not 

 appear to have been injured in any way, and was 

 of very light weight, I concluded it was starving. 

 I took it into the house and let it perch on the back 

 of a chair in the study. It showed little signs of fear 

 and made no effort to escape. I dug a handful of 

 earthworms, and dangled one of them before its 



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