THE ROBIN. 



Young Robins, when they 

 row their iirst coats of fea- 

 thers, do not have red breasts 

 like their parents, but are 

 dressed in varying slrades of 

 brown that render them very 

 difficult to see when sitting 

 still, amongst the lights and 

 shades of a hedgerow. Di- 

 rectly they have donned their 

 second coats of feathers, which 

 ha]5pens in July and August, 

 and become like their parents 

 in appearance, they com- 

 mence to try to sing. It is 

 said that \\'hen they ha\'e 

 bred near Nightingales 

 borrow notes from that 

 sweet-^'oiced bird, and 

 introduce them into 

 their own songs. I 

 can readily believe this, 

 because I have heard 

 a Redbreast imitate 

 the song of a Sedge 

 Warbler so well that 

 I was completely de- 

 ceived until I saw the 

 vocahst. 



It is unnecessary to 



been 

 they 



FEMALE ROBiN 



BRINGING FOOD TO HER YOUNG, 



