THE REDBREAST. 159 



nest in the fold of a bed-curtain in an occupied chamber. Its 

 absence being preferred to its presence there, the room window 

 was closed against the intruder, in consequence of which the first 

 egg was laid outside on the bare window-sill. Tbis circumstance 

 caused pity for the bird, the window was re-ope7ied, and the egg 

 placed in the nest, wliere the usual number was duly deposited 

 and incubated, (hie yomig bird only was produced, widch was 

 overfed to such a degree that it grew to a most unnatural size, 

 but did not long survive, falling a victim probably to too good 

 Living. Butter is so great a dainty to these birds, that in a friend's 

 house, frequented daring the winter by one or two of them, the 

 servant was obliged to be very careful in keeping what was 

 in her charge covered, to save it from destruction : if unprotected, 

 it was certain to be eaten. I have known them to visit labourers 

 at breakfast hour to eat butter from their hands,* and enter 

 a lantern to feast on the candle. One, as I have been assured, 

 was iii the constant habit of entering a house in a tan-yard 

 in Belfast by the window, that it might feed upon tallow, when 

 the men were using this substance in the preparation of the 

 hides. But even further than this, I have seen the redbreast 

 exlnbit its partiality for scraps of fat, &c. Being present one day 

 in December, 1837, when the golden eagle described at page 3 

 was fed, a robin, to my surprise, took the eagle's place on the 

 perch the moment that he descended from it to the ground to eat 

 some food given him, and when there, picked off some little frag- 

 ments of fat, or scraps of flesh ; this done, it quite unconcernedly 

 alighted on the chain by which the " rapacious " bird was 

 fastened.t I at the same time learned that this robin regularly 

 visited the eagle's abode at feeding-time, though as yet there was 



* Robins and other small birds seem to have a good idea of time, as evinced by 

 their coming to particular spots at the period of the day when food is given to 

 them. This species in particular I have known to come to the window-sill just at 

 the breakfast hour, when a few crumbs were given it, and not at any other hour 

 throughout the day. 



f Although this robin escaped the golden eagle unscathed, as much cannot be 

 said for one which occasionally entered the kitchen at the Falls and sang there : 

 having one day alighted on a cage in which a toucan was kept, this bird with its 

 huge bill seized and killed it. 



