Vermont Bird Club 21 



MY PET ROBINS. 

 Miss Cora I. Tarbox, Essex Junction, Vt. 



To a lover of birds the nesting season is a time of great interest 

 and also a source of anxiety as many bird tragedies are brought before 

 us. The depredations of cats, the loss of home and parents, by storm 

 and wind have been the means of placing quite a number of waifs 

 and strays in my hands. Among the most interesting is the common 

 robin, of which we have had six, each differing from the other in a 

 marked degree. The first was a full grown but young bird wounded 

 under the left wing, evidently by a shot, which tore feathers, skin and 

 flesh from the ribs leaving a bad wound, clotted with blood. He was 

 brought to my schoolroom, and did not seem afraid as he seemed on 

 the verge of starvation and his hunger overcame his fear. Volunteers 

 were not lacking to procure earthworms for him and he was made 

 as comfortable as possible, having the freedom of the schoolroom. I 

 took him home and kept him for some time, but he never showed any- 

 thing but toleration of any of us and when he was able to fly he very 

 gladly left us, taking wing to the tallest tree in the vicinity. He left 

 us a stranger as he had come to us. 



The next year in June, a young robin was found under the shelter 

 of a carwheel, calling lustily for food. A little boy placed him in my 

 hands and with another boy and girl was of great assistance to us 

 in procuring food and feeding him, as it was no small task to satisfy 

 an appetite like his. When he was about four weeks old, the little 

 girl rescued another forsaken little robin from rough treatment at the 

 hands of some children and taking it in one hand and guiding her 

 wheel with the other she soon placed him in the room with the other 

 pensioner. He seemed such a stupid little thing that we named him 

 the Idiot. He did not care to eat or drink and had no curiosity about 

 anything in the room, being in every way the exact opposite of his 

 companion who liked nothing better than to sit on our heads, shoulders 

 or laps and enjoyed everything that we did for him. We felt that 

 the new comer must not be left to starve, however, so we caught him 

 and fed him much against his will for he protested against it with 

 great vigor; sitting down, kicking and trying with all his little might 

 to escape. The older bird seemed much disturbed whenever this oc- 

 curred, flying to our shoulders or near the little one, uttering queer 

 little noises. He semed to say don't and we could not understand it. 

 My sister came out of the room they occupied one day saying, "I've 

 made a discovery, the older bird is bringing up the younger one." 

 Such was the case and the seeming stupidity of the little creature was 



