AVES— ROBIN. 499 



display of his vocal powers, making the whole neighborhood ring with his 

 inimitable medley. 



The mocking-bird is nine and a half inches long. The upper parts of the 

 head, neck, and back, are a dark brownish ash ; the under parts are of a 

 brownish white. His figure is well proportioned, and handsome. 



THE ROBIN. 1 



Thts well known bird is familiar to almost every body. Innumerable 

 thousands of them are seen in the lower parts of the whole Atlantic states, 

 from New Hampshire to Carolina. They migrate to avoid the deep snows, 

 from north to south and from west to east. The robin builds a large nest 

 on an apple tree, plasters it with mud, and lines it with fine grass. His 

 principal food is worms, berries, and caterpillars. When berries fail, they 

 disperse themselves over the fields, and along the fences, in search of worms 

 and other insects. 



The robin is one of our earliest songsters; even in March, while snow yet 

 dapples the field, some few will mount a post or stake of the fence, and 

 make short and frequent attempts at a song. His notes, in spring,, are uni- 

 versally known, and as universally beloved. They are, as it were, the pre- 

 lude to the grand general concert that is about to burst upon us, from woods, 

 fields, and thickets, whitened with blossoms, and breathing fragrance. By 

 the usual association of ideas, we therefore listen with more pleasure to this 

 cheerful bird, than to many others of far superior powers, and much greater 

 variety. Even his nest is held more sacred among school-boys than that of 

 some others ; and while they will exult in plundering a jay's or a cat-bird's, 



* Tardus migratorius, Lin. 



