ROBIN LIFE 



of incubation, bringing with them a recompense in the glad 

 joy of anticipation of the new young lives soon to fill the nest. 

 Robin shared in the labor of keeping the eggs warm, as he 

 did later in that of providing food for the young famUy. 



When the nest was full of young there was little time 

 for him to devote to his music. His daylight hours, as well 

 as his mate's, were spent in diligently providing for their 

 family, whose days were a continuous repast. As they 

 hopped about the lawn, looking and listening for worms, 

 every withered blade of grass, every sound attenuated be- 

 yond mortal hearing, was significant of that life in the 

 underworld which alone could satisfy the gustatory longings 

 of the babes in the nest. On returning from a foraging ex- 

 pedition, our little robins always found their ravenous young 

 with open bills ready to receive the fruit of their search. Two 

 or three times his own weight in worms did each of these con- 

 sume every day. No wonder the pin-feathers pushed out so 

 rapidly all over the small bodies — and that these so soon 

 burst into real feathers. 



When not plying their brood with food, the older pair 

 were attending to their other wants. Infant bills must be 

 cleaned and all superfluous matter removed from the nest. 

 Bits of egg-shell M^ere carried away, and occasional blades of 

 grass, that were accidentally gleaned with the harvest of 

 worms, were removed, keeping the nest in a state of perfect 

 neatness and cleanliness. During the hours when the sun 

 shone directly on the nest, the little ones were shielded from 

 its burning rays by maternal wings, while the father alone 

 provided food. Both parents were absolutely self-forgetful 

 in their devotion. 



But new cares were awaiting them: the nestlings were 

 already overflowing the mud cup on the outreaching bough. 



159 



