Our Neighbors of the Grape-Vine 



129 



she was willing to spend more time away than later when the atmosphere 

 was cold. 



A few days later, during a period of observation, the male bird was seen 

 cheerfully hopping about the garden and lawn in characteristic Robin style. 

 First he would take a half dozen rapid hops, come to a stand, cock his little 

 head to one side and listen. Then, with a sudden thrust of his bill, some bug, 

 taken unawares, was caught. For some reason the skilful little hunter was 

 saving up his catch, for before long a goodly feast of various morsels was dang- 

 ling from his bill. He flew to the nest, perched there beside the sitting mother, 

 and proceeded to feed her when she opened her begging mouth. It was a 



WHICH ONE FIRST? 



curious sight to see this procedure! Before long, however, the mother bird 

 half arose from the nest, and her head was lowered while she appeared to be 

 busy with something beneath her. Curiosity again gained the upper hand. 

 From a stool I peered into the nest to find there three tiny birds, soft, weak and 

 downy, but quite able to open their voiceless little mouths. Only two days 

 before three small, delicate, faint blue eggs had been where now the babies lay. 

 There was not a sign of broken shells about the nest, nor did search reveal 

 them on the ground below. The old birds had disposed of them in their instinc- 

 tive way. And now it was clear that the father Robin was devotedly perform- 

 ing his part in caring for the wee birds by providing the food which in turn the 

 mother fed to them. 



The delicate little babies did not require the personal care of the mother in 

 feeding very long. The next day both parents were continually flying to and 



