THE ROBIN. 265 



about to lift it up when, judge of my surprise, I pulled out from under the 

 bauk a second Robin that had evidently, when conquered, tried to seek 

 safety by squeezing under the bank, also in the water. Both birds, 

 like two warriors bold, were locked in deadly embrace, the one first seen 

 being entangled in the breast -feathers of its antagonist by its claws; their 

 plumage, too, was all wet and ragged, and they had lost many feathers. 

 After keeping them for a short time, I restored them to liberty : the 

 victorious one, I should say, flew quickly off, while its greatly exhausted 

 antagonist just managed to gain a thick bush and was soon lost to view." 

 Other instances of this bird's pugnacity might be given. 



The Robin is a bird of the underwood, the thicket, and the hedgerow, 

 and very similar in his peculiar shadow-like movements to the Hedge- 

 Accentor ; and, like that bird, he often frequents heaps of old wood in the 

 farmyard, disused outbuildings, and heaps of hedge-clippings and other 

 rubbish. Like the Accentor, the Robin hops from his cover into the 

 open, and retires just as quickly and gracefully if disturbed. The Robin's 

 flight is rarely indeed taken at any great elevation in the air, except whilst 

 performing its annual wanderings, and is somewhat irregular if continued 

 for any great distance. The Robin, however, seldom flies far, and always 

 prefers to hide and creep through the branches and seek safety in the under- 

 growth and densest parts of its haunts to using its wings as a means of 

 escape from impending danger. We certainly have not in Britain a more 

 trustful little bird than the Robin ; and, in the winter especially, he seems 

 to know that man is his friend and protector. 



The food of the Robin is varied a little according to the season of the 

 year. During all the " open " months it lives on the smaller earthworms 

 and various kinds of insects and their larvae, obtaining the former food 

 much after the manner of the Thrushes, and much of the latter as the 

 Flycatchers and the Titmice. When the early gardening is going on, he 

 attends the gardener ; and ever and anon gliding quickly from his perching - 

 place to the newly-turned earth, he takes the worms thrown upon the 

 surface. In the bright sunny mornings, or in the cool grey dawn soon 

 after sunrise, he is at work amongst the withered leaves and under the 

 shrubs and garden-plants, seeking his morning meal, occasionally sallying 

 out from a favourite perch to take the insects that are flitting in countless 

 thousands in the air around. The Robin also explores nooks and crannies 

 for larvae, and will search for insects in the expanding buds, like the 

 Finches or the Tits. Again, in fruit-time, when the summer is fast pass- 

 ing away, the Robin eats the cherries, currants, and other garden-fruits ; 

 while the Robin of the woods and fields makes a meal upon the various 

 soft, luscious, wild fruits and berries. In winter, when insect food is 

 scarce, the Robin not unfrequently seeks the sides of little watercourses, 

 or draws near to the houses to subsist upon the crumbs and other 



