THE ROBIX. 9 



Unlike many birds, he moves as if he were going 

 somewhere. His voice is a strong clear treble, 

 loud and cheerful, but he is not a musician, and 

 has no one set song. His commonest call has two 

 parts, each of three notes run together ; the first 

 with a rising, the last with a falling inflection, 

 like, tril-la-re&, tril-la-rah ; trU-la-ree, tril-la-rah. 

 But he has a number of calls, and you must be 

 familiar with the peculiar treble quality of his 

 note to avoid confusing it with others. 

 In the fall, Lowell says, 



'* The sobered robin hunger-silent now, 

 Seeks cedar-berries blue, his autumn cheer," 



and this " sobered" suggests a question. Why is 

 it that as soon as robins form flocks, they become 

 shy ? Is it because they are more often shot at 

 when migrating in large numbers ; or because, as 

 Mr. William Hubbell Fisher suggests, they have 

 left their homes, and so have lost confidence in 

 the surroundings and people ? 



In some localities they live on cedar-berries in 

 the fall, but here they are well satisfied with 

 mountain ash berries, wild cherries, and ungath- 

 ered crab apples. Speaking of their food, what a 

 pity that anglers cannot contract with them for a 

 supply of bait ! Woe betide the fish-worm that 

 stirs the grass on the lawn within their hearing ! 

 How wise they look as they cock their heads on 

 one side and stand, erect and motionless, peering 

 down on the ground. And what a surprise it 



