Strange Natural History Superstitions 



this theory that on April 11, 1781, he " employed some 

 men to explore the shrubs and cavities " of a spot sus- 

 pected of harbouring birds, then in the very act of 

 winging their way from their winter quarters in sunny 

 Africa to our shores to breed. 



It may sound incredible to the practical ornitho- 

 logist, but I assert it as a fact, that there are people 

 living in England to-day who believe that the cuckoo 

 does not migrate at all, but evades the difficulties and 

 dangers of a long tiresome flight to Africa by remaining 

 at home disguised as a hawk. 



The robin is another bird that is the subject of many 

 superstitions and strange tales. I am frequently asked 

 whether it is true that young robins upon reaching the 

 adult stage of their development deliberately murder 

 their parents. I think I have succeeded in removing 

 this stain on Redbreast's character from the minds of 

 many people by telling them that the assertion has no 

 foundation whatever in fact. Although it has no doubt 

 happened occasionally, that whilst disputing some 

 territorial claim in the autumn a brisk fight has ended 

 in the death of one or other of the combatants, there is 

 no evidence whatever to prove the birds bore any 

 relationship to each other, beyond that of belonging to 

 the same species, and Redbreast may at once be dis- 

 missed from the charge of being a parricide. 



Robin Redbreast was a great favourite amongst the 

 old poets, whose imagination far exceeded their ornitho- 

 logical knowledge, as is evidenced by the following 

 pieces of doggerel : 



57 



