178 BIRDS 



was revealed. Being very early in the year, the 

 Robins were evidently in no great hurry to put 

 the finishing touches to their homestead, but by 

 March 21 a little horsehair had been added as a 

 lining, and the first egg was laid on that date. One 

 egg was added each day until the full clutch of 

 five were safely deposited, which brings us up to 

 March 25. It is my opinion — as a result of careful 

 observation — that the eggs were laid early in the 

 morning. 



Since March 25, until April 8, the female sat 

 tight upon her precious eggs with little respite, 

 and as I write I am hourly expecting the young 

 Robins to make their exit from the shells. The 

 birds have by now become most lovingly tame and 

 confiding, and I never remember watching with 

 so much interest the evolution of the contents of 

 this particular bird's nest and its industrious little 

 owners. Many, many times I have watched and 

 listened to the cock bird singing a cheery song to 

 his brooding mate upon the nest, and to-day I 

 caught him in the act of feeding her with as fine 

 and fat a caterpillar as mortal eye could wish to 

 see or bird to feast upon. A heavy April snow- 

 storm had covered the ground early this morning, 

 and where the male bird had unearthed this tasty 

 tit-bit is to me a mystery. Poor little fellow, 

 when I first saw him approaching the nest he was 

 wet and bedraggled in appearance owing to rain 



