THE FOOD OF ROBINS 263 
do, but never once have I succeeded. Evidently my objec- 
tives never were focussed just right for worms in green grass. 
The enactment of the federal migratory bird law now will 
enable the Government to stop the slaughter of Robins in the 
South for food, but in the North we must watch sharply and 
continuously to guard our Robins from the alien killers and 
eaters of song-birds that have come to us from Europe. 
In the “grape belt”’ of western New York, Robins are a 
great annoyance to some grape-growers because of the bunches 
they disfigure. Elsewhere they are of great benefit to farmers, 
and the few cherries they take in cherry-time are very modest 
compensation for the noxious grubs they pick out of the freshly 
ploughed fields. 
The investigations of the Biological Survey of the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture have demonstrated the great economic 
value of the Robin as a destroyer of harmful insects. The 
contents of three hundred and thirty stomachs of birds taken 
in all seasons revealed the fact that, in the course of the entire 
year, insects make up 40 per cent of the food of Robins, wild 
fruit 43 per cent, cultivated fruit 8 per cent, and miscellane- 
ous vegetable food 5 per cent. 
Regarding the killing of Robins, and other song-birds, 
and also doves, as food for man in a land of plenty, there can- 
not be two opinions. It is not necessary; it is not “sport”; 
it is very injurious to our farmers and fruit-growers, and en- 
tirely reprehensible. No self-respecting boy or man can be 
guilty of such wrong-doing; no civilized community should 
tolerate it for one moment, and no farmer can afford to permit 
it! I would rather that any friend of mine should be caught 
