246 THE BOOK OF BIRDS 



needful before she could be trusted to keep afloat even 

 within the harbour waters. 



One of her masts, or a large piece of it, came into 

 the hands of the Duke of Clarence, afterwards King 

 William IV. He ordered it to be set up in a little stone 

 arbour, in the beautiful grounds of Bushey House. The 

 mast could have told a thrilling story. A shot from one 

 of the Frenchmen's guns had carved a great hole in it ; 

 and it was in this hole that a Robin and his mat6 decided 

 to build their nest. The nest was made, the eggs were 

 laid, and the little ones were fed until they were able to 



fly. 



Robins are not sociable birds, so far as their own 

 feathered comrades are concerned. They are not to be 

 seen in flocks like linnets or fieldfares. But towards man 

 they seem to have a friendly feeling, which leads them 

 deliberately to seek his company instead of flying away, 

 scared and suspicious, like so many other small birds. 

 The ploughman, the woodcutter, the gravedigger, the 

 gardener, all know the Redbreast and his pretty way of 

 companioning them and watching their every movement. 

 The poet Tennyson had noticed this habit. Do you re- 

 member the line in which he describes it ? — 



"As careful robins eye the delver's toil.' 



It is the delver, or digger, whom the Robin especially loves 

 to attend. For the spade does him service in turning 

 up the soil, and bringing to light fresh earthworms 

 on which he loves to feast. Indeed, he is a regular little 

 gourmand ; he is not content with worms of small size, 

 but will tackle large ones which must seem like big snakes 

 to so small a bird. If he cannot swallow the worm as 

 it is, he " tosses it about with his beak, bangs it against 



