BIRDS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 283 
pine tree in the woods to a wall overgrown with ivy, an over- 
hanging sand bank, or a shelf over a cottage door. The nest 
is usually strengthened with mud, but not always. Last sum- 
mer I found in a sand bank a nest that had no mud in its com- 
position. It needed none, for it was sunk in the sand and 
sheltered overhead by the overhanging turf. Apparently the 
birds were wise enough to see that in this case the mud was 
unnecessary. The Robin sometimes utilizes a hollow trunk 
for its nesting place, as may be seen by the accompanying 
cut, made from a photograph furnished by Mr. J. A. Farley. 
The Robin prefers to have a roof over its nest; therefore 
it usually places the nest in such a situation that the growing 
leaves will shade it from the sun and shelter it from the rain ; 
but it often takes refuge under some roof built by human 
hands. Last summer I saw a Robin’s nest built under the 
projecting roof of a small, open railway station. There the 
birds reared young, undisturbed by passengers or trains. 
The economic position of the Robin has been discussed 
almost as freely as that of the English Sparrow or the Crow. 
Many fruit growers have long looked upon the Robin as an 
inveterate enemy, and it cannot be denied that this bird is 
sometimes a serious pest to the grower of small fruits. It 
is often asserted that the Robin and Catbird select the very 
choicest fruits. Professor Beal, however, believes that this 
is an error, and that the birds rather prefer wild fruit that is 
insipid or disagreeable to man. 
My experience with birds in the strawberry bed con- 
vinced me, nevertheless, that Robin and Catbird picked out 
the reddest, ripest, and sweetest varieties in preference to all 
others. To test this preference, I set out here and there a 
plant of one of these varieties among the beds of more com- 
mon fruit. In every case the birds found these plants and 
took about all the fruit. But I am led to believe, from what 
is known of their habits, that they selected this fruit by its 
color rather than by its taste or quality. When the early 
cherries are ripening, the birds attack the first point where a 
cherry turns red. The choice early fruit is taken because 
there is no ripe wild fruit, and at this season the birds have 
had no juicy berries for months, and are “ fruit hungry.” 
