THE ENGLISH ROBIN REDBREAST. 



{Erithacus rubecula.) 



Art thou the bird whom man loves best, 

 The pious bird with the scarlet breast, 



Our little English Robin ; 

 The bird that comes about our doors 



When autumn winds are sobbing? 

 Art thou the Peter of Norway boors? 



Their Thomas in Finland, 



And Russia far inland? 

 The bird who by some name or other 

 All men who know thee call thee brother. 



— Wordsworth. 



The familiar and attractive habits of 

 the Redbreast have for centuries made it 

 a favorite among all classes of people liv- 

 ing in the British Islands. Indeed, so 

 deep is the love for this bird that its name 

 has almost assumed a sacred character. 

 It is the Robin Redbreast of childhood 

 tales and has been the inspiration of 

 many writers of prose as well as of 

 poetry. That which has been written re- 

 garding this bird would fill volumes. 

 Probably in no part of its range, which 

 covers the whole of Europe, the northern 

 portion of Africa, and eastern Asia, is 

 the Redbreast more revered than in Eng- 

 land. There it is the 



"Robinet with ruddy breast, 

 Best known of all and loved the best." 



"Its sprightly air, full dark eye, in- 

 quiring and sagacious demeanor, added 

 to the trust in man it often exhibits," 

 and its intelligence, has caused the peo- 

 ple of nearly every country that it fre- 

 quents to give to the Redbreast some 

 name indicative of endearment. 



Many birds that are migratory are so- 

 cial and not only fly and feed in flocks, 

 especially during their migations, but 

 also associate with other birds of similar 

 tastes and habits. This is not the nature 

 of the Redbreast. It not only remains at 

 a distance from other small birds, but 

 also shuns the societv of its fellows. No 

 matter how numerous the individuals 

 may be, who are seeking food in some 

 hedge, each is for itself and the truthful- 



ness of the old saying, "One bush does 

 not harbor two Redbreasts," is apparent. 

 So familiar, however, is the Redbreast 

 with man that it has been called the 

 "household bird with the red stom- 

 acher." Though the majority of these 

 birds exhibit a marked confidence in man 

 there are some individuals that seem to 

 fear him or, at least, show a strong ten- 

 dency to shun his presence. In its tem- 

 perament the Redbreast is somewhat 

 fickle and vacillating. This character is 

 evident even in its nesting habits. 



Though bold and pugnacious, it does 

 not appear that the males often give bat- 

 tle to each other for possession of a 

 mate. Their solitary habits would pre- 

 clude such battles. But once they have 

 selected a breeding locality and built their 

 home, they exhibit much resolution and 

 in a most determined manner resist the 

 intrusion of all other birds. 



Many stories have been written to il- 

 lustrate the sagacity and intelligence of 

 the Redbreast. One tells of an individual 

 which, during a winter, fed regularly at a 

 certain house. One day he found a spar- 

 row feeding there. Vehemently attack- 

 ing the intruder, he drove it away. The 

 sparrow, however, called several of its 

 relatives and with their assistance drove 

 the Redbreast from the food. Not to be 

 conquered, the Redbreast, on the follow- 

 ing day, brought with him a crow whose 

 strong beak was much too formidable a 

 weapon for the little sparrows and they 



