80 BIRDS OP SOMERSETSHIRE. 



other birds, except that he makes an occasional 

 unprovoked assault on the Hedgesparrow. 



There seems to be a strange popular notion in 

 some counties, that the young Robins kill the old 

 ones : this strange notion gave rise to a considerable 

 discussion in the pages of the * Zoologist/ which 

 ended without any convincing evidence being ad- 

 duced in its favour.* For my own part I believe 

 the theory to be quite as absurd as that which has 

 arisen from the child's story-book, of the marriage of 

 Cock Robin and Jenny Wren. 



The Robin is another of the birds mentioned in 

 M. Prevost's list, according to which it would appear 

 to be almost entirely insectivorous. " January, in- 

 sects, worms and chrysalids ; February, insects, 

 worms and wood-lice ; March, chrysalids and worms ; 

 April, moths, eggs of insects, and cockchaifers ; 

 May, grubs and beetles ; June, flies, moths, spiders 

 and worms; July, moths, butterflies and wood-lice; 

 August, the same, and worms ; September, the same ; 

 October, eggs of insects and aquatic insects ; No- 

 vember, worms and chrysalids ; December, chrysa- 

 lids, grubs, and eggs of moths." To the summer 

 and autumn diet may be added a little fruit, such as 

 currants and raspberries ; and to the winter, bread- 



* As Yarrell gives an instance of one pair of Robins 

 rearing three broods in the year, it is quite clear neither of 

 the earlier broods perpetrated such a murder. 





