THE AMERICAN EOBIX. 3G1 



But tlic robin is altogether a diftercnt creature ; and we, setting aside our 

 natural love for tlie bird, and denying in loto all sentimentality, assert that, 

 so far from being a pest, he is, generally speaking, beneficial, by his food 

 and mode of li\iiig, and is certainly worthy of a fiir trial before the "bad 

 name" and its attendant hanging are apportioned unto him. 



Undoubtedly to the grower of small fruits the robin is mischievous, and 

 sometimes seriously so. But the interests of small fruit growers are very 

 few wlien compared with the general interests of broad agriculture. Of 

 course, if there were even the remotest danger of the suspension of the 

 former ; if grapes, and strawberries, and cherries were likely to fail us 

 because of the ravages of tiiese birds, we would be among the last to enter 

 a plea for them ; but fortunately there is no danger. They will proi)al)Iy 

 pilfer all fruit that is accessible to them in many localities, and will continue, 

 as heretofore, to pay in hibor for the fruit stolen. 



Were the robin simply injurious to fruit growers, there would be a larger 

 share of justice in the comiilaint against him. But the bird makes no 

 choice between one man and another, laboring zealously in the service of 

 all, and that, too, from the beginning to tiie close of the year, in sea- 

 sons when other fair-weather birds have abandoned us for more genial 

 climates. 



To show that a large proportion of the roljin's operations are beneficial, 

 we would present in a condensed form the results of an investigation, pub- 

 lished in the United States Agricultural lieport for 18G7, which were made 

 on the food of this species, by examination of specimens from various locali- 

 ties in the country, and killed in diftercnt [)criods of the year. We found, 

 in examining specimens killed in January and February, that the different 

 individuals contained in their alimentary canals food, composed, on the aver- 

 age, of nearly the following proportions : Ijurberrics, two twelfths ; seeds, 

 three twelfths ; insects and larva^, three twelfths ; cedar berries, four twelfths. 

 We can readily see that during these months the food of the robin must 

 necessarily be meagre ; and although a few insects are obtained, the greater 

 part of the food must consist of wild seeds and berries, which are, of course, 

 valueless on the farm. Allowing a portion of the insects captured to be 

 beneficial, and assuming days as a proportion of months to represent the 

 comparative beneficial, injurious, and neutral labors, we find that in these 

 months the bird is beneficial about twenty-one days by destroying noxious 

 insects, injurious four and one fifth days by destroying beneficial insects, 

 and neutral thirty-three and four fifths days. Its food consisting, in this last 

 proportion, of useless seeds and berries. Through ^larch, April, and ]\Iay, 

 we found from the same source that it is beneficial sixty-four and a halt 

 days, injia-ious nine and a half days, and neutral forty-eight days. 

 NO. X. 4G 



