SONG-BIRDS. Robin 



In early March the Robins come flocking from the South, 

 and those seen before this time are usually the roving 

 winter residents. At first they sing most freely at noon or 

 late in the afternoon, when their notes mingle with the 

 peeping of the marsh-frogs, but with milder weather the 

 Robin becomes the bird of dawn, whose persistent, regular 

 melody unites the whole chorus. 



From this time until late July, at morning before twilight 

 and at intervals all through the day, he sings, varying the 

 accentuation of the melody, even while its range remains the 

 same. At dawn he says, " Cheerily, cheerily, cheer up, cheer 

 up ! " While one who sings every afternoon in the apple 

 tree by my window says plainly, " Do you think what you 

 do, do you think what you do, do you thi-n-k ? " 



Wilson Flagg, who is always unique if sometimes in- 

 accurate, writes, "There is no bird that has fewer faults 

 than the Robin, or would be more esteemed as a constant 

 companion." Passing over his habit of helping himself to 

 the ripest cheek of cherry or strawberry, which is a trifling 

 harm when compared with his good reputation as an insect 

 destroyer, and which from a bird's standpoint of course is 

 not a fault at all, he has two radical defects that detract 

 from the pleasure of his society. He is extremely and 

 unnecessarily noisy in his cries of alarm when any one 

 approaches his nest, not only in this way calling attention 

 to its location, but setting the entire bird colony in an 

 uproar. His sharp, useless call, given vehemently, often 

 without cause, reminds one of the silly housewife who ran 

 down the village street crying, "Fire! Fire!" because the 

 damper being closed, her stove smoked. 



It is very aggravating to be thus interrupted while watch- 

 ing the movements of some rare or shy bird. One day I had 

 almost located a Hummingbird's nest when a Ilobin cried, 

 " Quick ! Quick ! " and the Hummers took the hint. 



His other fault is untidiness and general disorder in nest- 

 building. If Robins build about the porch or in an arbour, 

 they invariably make a litter and exercise little of the pre- 

 caution, used by so many birds, in removing the excrements 

 F 65 



