£be Warbler 29 



and other vegetable matter, and particularly fruits. Insects are not eaten 

 unless there is a great scarcity of other food. It is, therefore, useless as a de- 

 stroyer of pests, though it undoubtedly eats the seed of some weeds when 

 grain, fruit or chicken food cannot be had in abundance. There is no end of 

 evidence showing that they fight and drive away native birds which natural- 

 ly nest near our homes, such as Bluebirds, Martins, Barn Swallows, Warb- 

 lers, Wrens, Thrashers, Sparrows, Catbirds and Robins; my own observations 

 going to show that fully one-half of all the nests of wild birds located about 

 the trees, orchards and shrubbery of Floral Park are broken up by the Eng- 

 lish Sparrow. I have repeatedly caught them in the act of picking holes in 

 the eggs of Robins, Chipping Sparrows and Brown Thrashers. They also 

 delight in getting in a nest and with their feet and wings throwing out the 

 eggs. 



The Robin 



(Mend a migrator id) 



THE Robin is the most common native wild bird breeding in and about 

 New York City, and I can safely say that throughout Eastern North 

 America it is the most loved and cherished of all the feathered tribe. This 

 is owing partly to its familiar and confiding habits, and partly to its delight- 

 ful song. As a songster, however, it does not equal other members of the 

 Thrush family and must take third or fourth place in this respect among the 

 birds that breed within the limits of the city of New York, but it is one of 

 the best songsters that nest near our homes. Everybody is familiar with the 

 Robin, its nest, eggs and young. It could not well be otherwise with a bird 

 that loves to dwell close to the habitation of man. Fruit and shade trees 

 afford favorite places for its nests, but shrubbery, any kind of hedge, vines, 

 arbors, summer-houses, fences, out-buildings of all sorts, and even dwelling- 

 houses are frequently used; the birds seeming to appreciate the fact that 

 the nearer they can locate to human beings the safer they are from their 

 natural enemies, such as Crows, Owls, Hawks, red and flying squirrels, 

 black snakes, and weasels. Near our homes the domestic cat is its great- 

 est enemy, but the bird evidently fears that less than its many wild foes. 

 A pair of Robins built their nest for several years in the lattice -work of the 

 piazza to my house directly over the entrance to the front door. Every 

 year they build in the rafters of a summer-house which is used by the chil- 

 dren for a play house. Frequently a nest is located in the' branches of some 

 tree so close to the house that it can almost be touched from an open 

 window. Three years ago a pair of Robins built a nest on the window 

 sill of one of my office windows on the second floor of a large brick build- 

 ing. There was only the glass between us, and the incubating bird outside 

 and I inside could see each other constantly, much to the delight of one of 



