WAYS OF NATURE 
The blackbirds devour the robins’ eggs, and the 
robins never cease to utter their protest, often 
backing it up with blows. I saw two robins attack a 
young blackbird in the air, and they tweaked out 
his feathers at a lively rate. 
One spring a pack of robins killed a cuckoo near 
me that they found robbing a nest. I did not witness 
the killing, but I have cross-questioned a number 
of people who did see it, and I am convinced of the 
fact. They set upon him when he was on the robin’s 
nest, and left him so bruised and helpless beneath 
it that he soon died. It was the first intimation I 
had ever had that the cuckoo devoured the eggs of 
other birds. 
Two other well-authenticated cases have come 
to my knowledge of robins killing cuckoos (the 
black-billed) in May. The robin knows its enemies, 
and it is quite certain, I think, that the cuckoo is 
one of them. 
What a hustler the robin is! No wonder he gets 
on in the world. He is early, he is handy, he is adap- 
tive, he is tenacious. Before the leaves are out in 
April the female begins her nest, concealing it as 
much as she can in a tree-crotch, or placing it under 
a shed or porch, or even under an overhanging bank 
upon the ground. One spring a robin built her nest 
upon the ladder that was hung up beneath the eaves 
of the wagon-shed. Having occasion to use the lad- 
der, we placed the nest on a box that stood beneath 
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