The American Robin 93 



though vegetation was partially renewed, the chilliness of the 

 air was peculiarly penetrating. Usually the spring migration 

 of the robin begins near the first of February and the birds 

 become common in that month within a few days after the 

 first migrants are noticed. 



In the last chapter I said that the migration of the birds is 

 probably the most interesting subject connected with the study 

 of the birds. One of the facts connected with their migration 

 is that with many species, the males precede the females. I 

 have never seen any explanation for this and I know of none. 

 In my home city during the last week in January I saw a flock 

 of male robins that must have had a thousand birds in it. They 

 tarried about a fortnight, and during that time fed on hack- 

 berries which they came to in the morning and feasted upon 

 them during the day. When evening came they flew to a roost 

 northeast of the city. After their feasting and rest, the major 

 part of the flock passed on to the north. Those that remained 

 distributed themselves throughout the city and waiting, sang 

 and watched for the coming of the females. 



"So lie sings but ever watches 



That his lady he may see, 

 And his voice, on her arrival, 



Shows a tone of ecstacy; 

 'Now, dear love, at last you're near me; 

 Ah, my heart did greatly fear me! 

 Cheer up, cheer up, 

 Julia Tealeaf 

 What a relief!" 



From Audubon's account of finding the robin so early in 

 Labrador, we would conclude that they travel northward faster 

 than the opening of spring. But in his paper on migration, 

 Mr. Cooke says, "The robin as a species migrates north more 

 slowly, than the coming of the spring season ; it occupies sev- 

 enty-eight days for its trip of 3,000 miles from Iowa to Alaska, 

 while spring covers the distance in sixty-eight days. But it 

 does not follow that any individual bird moves northward at 

 this leisurely pace. The first that reach a given locality in the 

 spring are likely to remain there to rest and the advance of 

 the migration line must wait the arrival of other birds from 



