194 OUR NATIVE SONGSTERS. 



stuffed specimen of the "bird, which was soon per- 

 ceived. The song became louder and louder, and 

 in longer strains, as if sounding a challenge. 

 Presently he made a flight of inspection as far as 

 the window, which, after an interval, was repeated, 

 but in the shape of an attack. So violent was it, 

 that he threw the stufted bird to the ground from 

 tlie heiglit of two stories, pursuing it as it fell, 

 and attacking it violently when do^^Ti. I then 

 perched it on an empty box standing in the yard, 

 the live bird remaining witliin a yard of me while 

 I was doing so, and the moment I withdrew a few 

 paces, he renewed the charge with such obstinacy 

 that I could easily have caught him ; and on my 

 recovering the stuffed bird, he resumed his place 

 on the box, strutting about witli an expanded tail 

 and an erect attitude, as if claiming and pro- 

 nouncing a A-ictory. Shortly after, on noticing 

 the bird to be still hovering about the neighbour- 

 hood, I replaced my specimen on the window-sill, 

 securing the stand by a brad-awl ; and hardly had 

 I done so, before the robin resumed the war by 

 settling on the head of his unconscious foe, digging 

 and pecking at it with the greatest rage and 

 violence. I then interfered, and removed the 



