BIRD PARADISE 63 



is the whole world to him, and so far as I can see 

 it is all he cares for. Toad character has some 

 things to recommend, but on the whole is not 

 very attractive. 



I have noticed several robins lately that seemed 

 in a half-dazed mood. In each case I have found 

 the bird near the mountain ash tree where it had 

 been feasting on the berries. Can it be that the 

 overeating of the bright red fruit produces a 

 kind of intoxication? Or was it an effect of a 

 different character I The way in which the birds 

 eat these berries savors of a sort of infatuation. 

 When they are ripe a large flock is on duty every 

 moment of the day eating with scarcely a particle 

 of intermission. I do not know of any other 

 creature that uses them for food. The variety of 

 food used by birds covers a wide range. I have 

 no knowledge of seeds or insects that are unused. 

 Unlike the animals, the birds provide no supply 

 for the winter months. Their facilities for mov- 

 ing from place to place are such that a store of 

 food is unnecessary. Even those who remain at 

 the North through the winter find sufficient to 

 supply all their wants without any thought for 

 the morrow. What a great full storehouse the 



