90 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



of varying shades. The feathers on the 

 breast are dull reddish-brown, bordered 



ROBIN S NEST IN AN OLD TIN CAN. 



with a darker hue. When sitting quite 

 still in a hedgerow through which the 

 sunshine is playing fitfully, their colora- 

 tion renders them difficult to detect, and 

 is thus as protective as that of their 

 more experienced parents is conspicuous. 



Individual Robins are by a little kind- 

 ness easily tamed. A male that dwells 

 for the greater part of his time in my 

 orchard will fly down to me when I call 

 his name, and take food from my hand. 

 His mate, on the contrary, is very shy, 

 and will not come near me. If a rival 

 should happen to come along, my bird 

 at once assumes a fighting attitude, 

 and the intruder is soon made to 

 understand something of the laws of 

 proprietorship. 



A Robin will occasionally live quite a 

 solitary life. I have met with such birds 

 dwelling upon small treeless islands, and 

 near lonely shepherd houses high up 

 amongst the fells. 



The males of this species sometimes 

 gratify their parental instincts by feed- 

 ing the chicks of birds in no way related 

 to them. I have watched an individual 

 giving grubs and worms to nestling song 

 thrushes, and a Robin with only one 

 leg constantly amused himself a season 

 or two ago by feeding young sparrows 

 round a friend's house in Cumberland. 



