96 NATURE STUDY LESSONS FOR PRIMARY GRADES 



Are the robins ever disturbed while on their 

 nests? (Sometimes at night an owl will go to the 

 nest, snatch off the mother with its bill, then eat 

 up the eggs or even the baby birds.) Sometimes 

 in the daytime a black snake will climb the tree, 

 scare off the mother bird, then steal the eggs or 

 baby birds. What do the parents do about this? 

 (They fly all about the snake and try to peck it 

 and drive it away, but it is not afraid of the old 

 birds, and sometimes catches them, too.) 



Do you know of anything else that steals robin's 

 eggs? (Sometimes thoughtless or cruel boys take 

 them. They have not the excuse that the owl, crow, 

 and snake have, for boys do not need the eggs at 

 all. The robins cannot hurt the boys defend 

 their nests against them. The boys know this, so 

 they take the eggs.) What do you think of that? 



What does the mother do with the eggs if they 

 are spared to her? (She sits on them.) How long? 

 (About twelve days.) Does she never leave the 

 nest? (Only to get food and bathe. While she is 

 gone, her mate sits on the nest.) Did you ever see 

 a robin bathing? (A robin bathes in water every 

 day.) How does it bathe? Where? [Watch and 

 see.] Many people help the birds by putting fresh 



