34 ^ Walk from 



a rollicking happiness in his loud, clear notes, and he 

 apparently sang them in such sympathy with human 

 fellowships, and hopes, and homes, and he was such a 

 cheery and confiding denizen of the orchard and garden 

 withal, that he became at once the pet bird of old and 

 young, and was called the robin ; and well would it be 

 if its English namesake possessed its sterling virtues ; 

 for, with all its pleasant traits and world-wide repu- 

 tation, the English robin is a pretentious, arrogant 

 busybody, characteristicaly pugilistic and troublesome 

 in the winged society of England. In form, dress, 

 deportment, disposition, and in voice and taste for 

 vocal music, the American robin surpasses the English 

 most decidedly. In this our grave forefathers did more 

 than justice to the home-bird they missed on Plymouth 

 Rock. In this generous tribute of their affection for it, 

 they perhaps condoned for mating the English lark so 

 incongruously ; but it was true their choice was very 

 limited. To match the prima donna carissima of Eng- 

 lish field and sky, it was necessary to select a meadow 

 bird, with some other features of resemblance. It would 

 never do to give the cherished name and association to 

 one that lived in the forest, or built its nest in the tree- 

 tops or house-tops, or to one that was black, yellow, or 

 red. Having to conciliate all these conditions, and do 

 the best with the material at hand, they pitched upon 



