and tasty spring dress, being pale brown. Do yon think yon can call 

 them by name when yon meet them again? 



How many know the robin? All? Snppose then yon draw me a 

 robin, and write a description of his plumage, and habits. Early in 

 March he is with ns to remain until fall. Let us sit down by this 

 crooked, lazy little stream bordered with willow, while we do our draw- 

 ing and writing. A'ery good. I would know that to be a bird, but 

 whether robin or song-sparrow I could not tell. "Under part, dingy 

 orange red, or chestnut brown." Eight as far as it goes, but is that 

 all you can tell? 



Let me ask you a few questions: and how fortunate it is that 

 that robin has come and perched himself on that limb not twenty feet 

 away. But you must look quickly and keenly for he may fly away at 

 any moment. What is the color of his throat? What the color of his 

 eyelids? Has he any spot in front of his eye? If so, what is its color? 

 WTiat is the color of his back, and wings, and tail? Are they all alike 

 or diiferent? What is the color of his legs and beak? How long do 

 3'ou think he is? If you have all those questions answered you will see 

 what I meant when I said you would have to see quickly and keenly. 

 Xow he is singing; and do you know what his song seems to say to me? 

 It seems a? if he W£re saying, "Spring is here — is here — is here. I'm so 

 glad. I'm so glad."' Does it sound like that to you? If it does not 

 now. I am sure it will some time in your life, for whether it rains or 

 shines, whether it is cold or hot, the robin never forgets to sing his 

 glad song. 



I hope some time you will find a robin's nest. If you do, be very 

 careful not to disturb it, but if you can, find of what materials it is 

 made. Find also if you can how many eggs it contains. "What is their 

 color? What is their size? In this work you will have to be able to 

 think in inches. Can you do it? Make dots on a sheet of paper an 

 inch apart. Then some three, five, seven and ten inches apart. Then 

 take a ruler and measure and see how near right you are. If you are 

 ver^- much mistaken keep trying until an inch really means something 

 to you. 



Some persons think we ought to kill the robin because he eats our 

 cherries, grapes, and other small fruits. They are very much mis- 

 taken. Fruit is a small part of the robin's diet. "What do you think 

 he eats before cherries are ripe? It is worms and insects, and by the 

 havoc he makes among them he more than compensates for his occa- 

 sional visits to our fruit trees. I once kept a couple of robins in a 



