WOOD NOTES WILD. 21 
Who is the plagiarist ? 
The majority of singing-birds make free use of triplets ; 
the robins abound in them. They are generally separated 
by brief rests; but in some instances two or three triplets 
are given without rests, as in Nos. 13 and 16. 
The robins sing throughout the summer, their in- 
cessant repetitions frequently becoming tiresome. They 
take the lead at the opening of the season, and hold it. 
Every morning they begin the concert, and are the prin- 
cipal performers; indeed, they seem to feel competent to 
make up the entire choir, if necessary. They are by no 
means our best singers, but were we deprived of them, 
we should miss their songs more than those of any other 
bird. They are the most social and domestic of all the 
migrating birds, belonging to the farm almost as much 
as do the hens and chickens. They come early and 
stay late; and after they are supposed to be gone for 
good, if you have a nice mountain ash, hanging thick 
with clusters of beautiful red berries,—the very gem 
of all outdoor ornaments at this season,— some very 
windy day a cloud of robins will swoop down upon 
it, when nothing will save it. In mitigation of his 
offence, I am willing to believe that the robin does 
not think himself a robber, but simply a high-handed 
taker of what he has earned by long service of song, 
the “provender of praise.” 
September 21, a cold, rainy day, when no other bird 
was to be seen, I heard a robin exclaim,— 
ri 
L t t'*# 
t tad 2 £ et mn fi 
wy rw z fat ff. 
i 2 ye 1 i z 2. —ii 
is 2. is} 
