WOOD NOTES WILD. 21 



Who is the plagiarist? 



The majority of singing-birds make free use of triplets ; 

 the robins abound in them. They are generally separated 

 by brief rests ; but in some instances two or three triplets 

 are given without rests, as in Nos. 13 and 16. 



The robins sing throughout the summer, their in- 

 cessant repetitions frequently becoming tiresome. They 

 take the lead at the opening of the season, and hold it. 

 Every morning they begin the concert, and are the prin- 

 cipal performers ; indeed, they seem to feel competent to 

 make up the entire choir, if necessary. They are by no. 

 means our best singers, but were we deprived of them, 

 we should miss their songs more than those of any other 

 bird. They are the most social and domestic of all the 

 migrating birds, belonging to the farm almost as much 

 as do the hens and chickens. They come early and 

 stay late; and after they are supposed to be gone for 

 good, if you have a nice mountain ash, hanging thick 

 with clusters of beautiful red berries, the very gem 

 of all outdoor ornaments at this season, some very 

 windy day a cloud of robins will swoop down upon 

 it, when nothing will save it. In mitigation of his 

 offence, I am willing to believe that the robin does 

 not think himself a robber, but simply a high-handed 

 taker of what he has earned by long service of song, 

 the " provender of praise." 



September 21, a cold, rainy day, when no other bird 

 was to be seen, I heard a robin exclaim, 



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