Family Turdidce American Robin 41 



2. AMERICAN ROBIN (Merula mtgratoria.) 



Upper parts grayish brown, head darker ; under parts in general 

 chestnut; throat spotted black and white ; tail with small white 

 blotches on outer feathers. Beak long and rather slender, yel- 

 low ; feet dark. Length from top of head to tip of tail about ten 

 inches. Sexes similar, save that the female is duller. 



THIS most familiar of all our native birds is to 

 be found everywhere except in deep woods. He 

 is, generally speaking, a summer resident, coming 

 to us in early March and remaining until October. 

 A few, however, spend the entire year ; they should 

 be sought in winter in such swampy woods as fur- 

 nish at once protection against the weather and the 

 possibility of food. At this season the birds live 

 chiefly upon berries, but during the rest of the 

 year the food consists largely of earth-worms ; and 

 it is an interesting sight to watch a robin hop- 

 ping over the lawn, listening for the worm, and 

 finally dragging it out of its hole. Robins also 

 destroy vast numbers of injurious insect larvae, 

 which they collect as food for their young ones. 



When they first arrive they live in loose flocks, 

 and after the breeding season is over they resume 

 the habit. At this time they assemble in great 

 companies to pass the nights together at some 

 favorite spot, going their various ways in the morn- 



