96 Birds of Buzzard's Roost 



east. This comes nearer and presently those in the barn yard 

 join in the chorus, and after they have had their crow, it passes 

 on to the west, becoming fainter and finally dies away. Then 

 the robins begin in a subdued tone, 



"As if they were talking in their sleep, 

 At three o'clock in the morning." 



Many interesting stories have been written about the 

 robin, growing out of the strong hold that it has upon the af- 

 fections of the people and the affection that the birds have 

 for each other, and on account of their intelligence. It is told of 

 Corliss, the famous engin^ builder, that at one time he was 

 working on a contract, under heavy penalty to supply a steam 

 pumping apparatus and power house within a specified time. 

 In blasting and clearing the necessary place for the founda- 

 tions of the building, a robin's nest was discovered in a small 

 tree within the space. When Mr. Corliss learned of this he 

 had the work transferred to the other side of the square so 

 as not to disturb the bird. But it proved that when the work- 

 men got clear around and back to the robin's nest, the young 

 birds were still not quite ready to fly. After looking at the 

 little tree with its nest and little birds high in its branches 

 and thinking about what to do with them, he directed the men 

 to support the tree carefully, saw through it and then carry 

 it in an upright position to a safe distance and stick it into 

 the ground with proper support. And thus the little robins 

 were saved and flew away together after a few more days. 



My fellow townsman, Mr. H. H. Lee, tells a good story 

 about the robins that had nested in his back yard for thirty 

 years. He and his wife esteemed them as favorite tenants, 

 for they richly paid for their tenancy. The birds had built 

 their nest quite close to the house, and it attracted the at- 

 tention of a boy with a devil sling. The mother bird was on 

 the nest and the slinger struck her, and broke her wing. She 

 fell to the ground and was unable to fly back again to her nest. 

 The male bird was greatly distressed. He hopped about her, 

 making piteous cries and evidently was unable to understand 

 the situation. Mrs. Lee picked up the wounded bird, mended 

 its wing with surgeon's plaster and then placed it in a cage 



