278 GENERAL ZOOLOGY 



scrupulous cleanliness. Frequent baths are taken, both 

 in water and dust (the latter being distasteful to ectopara- 

 sites), the feathers are preened with the beak, and every 

 precaution is taken to keep the body in good condition. 



Race Preservation. Though the female robin shoulders 

 the chief responsibilities for the care of the eggs and the 

 rearing of the young, the male is always at hand to en- 

 courage his mate, sound the alarm when danger threatens, 

 or attack intruders. The pair select a suitable site, usually 

 in an elm, maple, or apple because these trees have broad 

 forks in the branches, and the female builds the nest. She 

 first lays down a rough foundation of coarse stems, then 

 brings load after load of grass and mud in her beak and 

 builds a wall around the edge. Each time new material 

 is added she scratches it into place with her feet, smooths 

 and shapes it with her breast, and rounds off loose strands 

 on the outside with her beak. The moulding, turning and 

 smoothing movements are repeated hundreds of times. 

 Finally a lining of soft grass or roots is placed in the com- 

 pleted cup and the nest is ready for the eggs. The male is 

 constantly at hand and seems to furnish incentive to the 

 female to carry on the work. If she goes for mud he fol- 

 lows a few feet behind, singing and showing great interest 

 in all she does. If some other bird or small animal ap- 

 proaches the nesting place, the male attacks the intruder 

 with great ferocity; if a danger threatens that cannot be 

 combated he gives loud warning notes and stays near his 

 mate to render assistance. 



It requires from two to four days to complete a nest and 

 the first egg is usually deposited from the fourth to the 

 seventh day. After three or four eggs have been laid 

 the female begins to incubate them, and for nearly two 

 weeks leaves the nest only for short intervals to snatch a 

 little food. The male is always near at hand, and helps in 

 feeding the young birds after they hatch, but his mate 

 still does the greater part of the work. The young have 

 ravenous appetites, eating more than their own weight 



