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in corn, and the Eobin and the Cedar Bird in cherries ; and if 

 it be objected that the Robin-tax falls disproportionately upon 

 the fruit-growers, so, on the other hand, the Blackbird tax 

 falls disproportionately upon the farmer and the corn-grower. 

 These evils, except as they can be prevented by watchfulness 

 and ingenious contrivances that do not harm the birds, must 

 be patiently endured for the common good. 



Early in May, in 1858, I caught and caged three young 

 Eobins, after they were fledged, for the purpose of studying 

 their habits of feeding. I commenced by giving them earth- 

 worms and soaked bread. They soon died, evidently from the 

 effects of their farinaceous diet. I then took two others from 

 the nest, and fed them on earth-worms alone ; but upon dis- 

 covering, after a few days, that they were drooping, I fed them 

 afterwards on insects combined with a small quantity of earth- 

 worms, and they immediately revived. All kinds of insects 

 they devoured with eagerness, and remained healthy and vig- 

 orous. I never knew them to refuse one of any description, 

 though I offered them no insects with stings, nor any hairy 

 caterpillars. All kinds of beetles, moths, grubs, crickets, 

 wire-worms, crysalids and smooth caterpillars they fi:eely ac- 

 cepted. The manner in which the E-obin managed these in- 

 sects was proof that they agreed with his instincts. They 

 were placed upon the floor of his cage, and on picking them 

 up, he killed them in a way that showed that he knew how 

 they ought to be managed, as a cat knows how to seize a rat or 

 a mouse, though she has not been instructed. He was particu- 

 lar in beating the wire-worm, before he swallowed it, but he 

 never refused to eat one. On one occasion, having swallowed 

 a hard beetle, and finding it incommodious, he threw it up by 

 a ruminating effort, seized it again, thrapped it awhile against 

 the floor, and then swallowed it a second time. This maneuver 

 proved his instinctive knowledge of the mode of proceeding 

 in such emergencies ; and it is hardly necessary to repeat the 

 truism, that no animal or bird can know how to manage a 



