394 NOTES ON NEW ENGLAND BIKDS 



Oct. 5, 1861. This is a rainy or drizzling day at last, 

 and the robins and sparrows are more numerous in the 

 yard and about the house than ever. They swarm on 

 the ground where stood the heap of weeds which was 

 burned yesterday, picking up the seeds which rattled 

 from it. Why should these birds be so much more nu- 

 merous about the house such a day as this? I think of 

 no other reason than because it is darker and fewer 

 people are moving about to frighten them. Our little 

 mountain-ash is all alive with them. A dozen robins 

 on it at once, busily reaching after and plucking the 

 berries, actually make the whole tree shake. There are 

 also some little birds (1 think purple finches) with 

 them. A robin will swallow half a dozen berries, at 

 least, in rapid succession before it goes off, and appar- 

 ently it soon comes back for more. 



[See also under Chipping Sparrow, p. 299 ; General 

 and Miscellaneous, pp. 403, 406, 419, 426, 427.J 



BLUEBIRD 



April 26, 1838. the bluebirds 



In the midst of the poplar that stands by our door 



We planted a bluebird box, 



And we hoped before the summer was o'er 



A transient pair to coax. 



One warm summer's day the bluebirds came 

 And lighted on our tree, 

 But at first the wand'rers were not so tame 

 But they were afraid of me. 



