BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 303 



The eggs are four or five, of a deep green. It is not easy to 

 make them give up their nest ; if it is carried away they will 

 follow it, and retake possession as if nothing had happened. 

 In cases where the young of other birds have been put into 

 their nests, the female has thrown them out to make room for 

 her own ; but the male, observing their distress, has taken 

 compassion on the orphans and fed them as his own. Surely, 

 this is not a creature at which it is wise for man to cast the 

 first, nor indeed to cast any stone. 



The American Robin, Tiirdus migratornis, is not the earli- 

 est, but is certainly the most welcome messenger of spring ; 

 and the confidence which he places in us is seldom disappoint- 

 ed, except by boys taking their first lessons in cruelty, in which 

 they afterwards become masters. His note is hearty and joy- 

 ous, sometimes very musical, but always associated with 

 spring-blossoms and early fruit so inseparably, that his song 

 reminds every one of something which he loves to remember. 

 His familiarity is his greatest charm ; and he often disarms bad 

 intentions, by alighting near us with a look and manner which 

 seem to say, that, bad as men are, he does not think they mean 

 to injure him. He is greatly respected by children on account 

 of the name which he bears ; they mistake him for the red- 

 breast, which is said to have displayed so much humanity to 

 the children in the wood ; but, though our robin is not often 

 called to such benevolent exertions, there is no doubt, that in 

 any similar case of distress, it would show itself as kind and 

 thoughtful as the other. 



The robin well deserves the name of migratory, though 

 some remain with us in ordinary winters, retreating from the 

 cold into the depth of evergreen woods. They spread them- 

 selves over the whole continent ; they are found in all the fur 

 countries, and almost all places where man has ever been. 

 They are never stationary, except when rearing their young j 

 for we sometimes find that in the summer, they will leave a 

 place where they have abounded, and for days together not one 

 of them can be found. Their movements are irregular, depend- 



