The A. M. S. Robins 



267 



I do not believe there ever was a busier or apparently a prouder pair of 

 Robins. They played no favorites; probably they were obliged to feed all 

 seven fledglings to make sure their own blood relatives were fed. At least 

 they did a good job, and those seven young Robins, with exception of the 

 weak one,, grew as only young Robins can. 



It was soon evident that the nest would not long accommodate such a large 

 family. I wanted to see them all live and thrive so I devised ways and means 

 to relieve the congestion. At first, the extra nest was placed beside the over- 

 crowded home and three young 

 birds were put in this nest 

 during the daytime but all 

 were put in the one nest for 

 the night. All were fed during 

 the day as regularly as the 

 young in the Robin's own 

 nest, but the mother would 

 brood only the young in her 

 own nest. 



By keeping accurate count 

 one evening I observed that 

 the Robins carried seven 

 worms, giving the nest with 

 four birds four worms and 

 giving the nest with three 

 birds three worms. This feed- 

 ing period was well defined 

 each day, and I am sure I 

 counted all the worms car- 

 ried. I was anxious to know 

 if each bird received food in 

 turn but was unable to deter- 

 mine that definitely. How- 

 ever, I believe they did from 

 the fact that seven worms 

 were carried and that the correct division was made between the two nests. 

 After two days I could no longer get the young all in one nest for the night. 

 On the third night I kept three of them in my room and decided that the next 

 day I would use the two nests to make one nest large enough to accommodate 

 the entire family of Robins. While this enlarging operation was going on, the 

 Mother and Cock Robin entered vigorous protest, but after placing all the 

 young in the now one big nest, the Mother Robin flew down while I was close 

 at hand, made some hasty examinations then flew off, called Cock Robin and 

 they proceeded to feed the hungry fledglings. 



A FOOD-CALL 



