THE THRUSH FAMILY 27 



water." How hard the father and mother birds work to 

 keep their fledglings' crops filled! No wonder robins like 

 to live near our homes where the enriched land contains 

 many fat grubs, and the smooth lawns, that they run across 

 so lightly, make hunting for earthworms tisbmparatively 

 easy. 



Toward the end of June one may see robins flying in 

 flocks after simdown. Old males and young birds of the 

 first brood scatter themselves over the country by day to 

 pick up the best Uving they can, but at night they collect 

 in large numbers at some favorite rooSting place. Often- 

 times the mother birds are now raising second or even third 

 broods. We like to believe that the fathers return from 

 the roosts at sim-up to help supply those insatiable babies 

 with worms throughout the long day. Every two or three 

 minutes up spring the little heads, mostly gaping yellow 

 mouths, like Jacks-in-the-box. 



After family cares are over for the year, robins moult, 

 and then they hide, mope, and keep silent for a while. But 

 in September, in a suit of new feathers, they are feeling 

 vigorous and cheerful again; and, gathering in friendly 

 flocks, they roam about the woodland borders to feed on 

 the dogwood, choke berries, juniper berries, and other 

 small fruits, changing their diet with the season. By 

 dropping the undigested berry seeds far and wide, they 

 plant great numbers of trees and shrubs and help to make 

 the earth beautiful as they travel. With them every day 

 is Arbor Day. 



It is a very dreary time when the last robin leaves us, 

 and an exceptionally cold winter when a few stragglers 

 from the south-bound flocks do not remain in some shel- 

 tered, sunny, woodland hollow. 



