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they are engaged in rearing their young alone, would entitle them to protection, were the parents 
themselves to feed exclusively upon garden fruits for the whole period. But at this time the diet 
of the old birds is very largely of an animal nature; nor is this the only season during which the 
destruction of insects goes on. Upon the first arrival of the main body of the birds early in the 
spring, long before any fruits are ripe, they throw themselves into newly-ploughed fields, and scatter 
over meadows, lawns, and parks, in eager search for the worms and grubs that, later in the season, 
would prove invincible to the agriculturist, were not their ravages thus stayed in advance by the 
friendly army of Robins. 
“<The bird is now very generally protected by legislative enactments, during a portion of the 
year at least; it is to be hoped that the laws may be made still more stringent, and the ‘close’ 
time become co-extensive with the year itself. As an object of *sport' the Robin can possess no 
attractions save to idle children of larger or smaller growth; while its commercial value, as an 
article of food, is wholly inconsiderable. There are, therefore, weighty and cogent reasons why the 
Robin should be protected by law at all seasons; for there would rarely, if ever, be difficulty in 
gaining permission, upon proper representation, to destroy the very few that might be required for 
scientific purposes.’ 
* Among wild fruits the Robin is particularly fond of elder- and poke-berries. In winter these 
birds are unusually common in the beautiful hummock-woods of Florida, where the mealy 
sparkle-berry and the holly with its shining vermilion berries grow in abundance.—The plumage 
of the bird's breast is often stained with the violet juice of the poke-berry. 
* From early in the morning to late in the afternoon these birds are busy almost without 
interruption. It is only during the hot part of the day that they are somewhat less active. Their 
flight is smooth, rapid, and skilful, and does not lack grace and beauty. То one who has seen 
during migration flocks of several hundred individuals rapidly flying over the forest trees, it seems 
easy to understand how they can traverse such an immense expanse of country in so short a time. 
'They move about nimbly among the boughs and are perfectly at home on the ground. They run 
about quickly, frequently stand still, raise the tail with a jerk and simultaneously lower the wings, 
turn the head to one side to listen, and then hop along again. This jerking of the tail and wings 
while running about on the ground is a common trait of all the true Thrushes. 
“Towards autumn the Robins unite in larger or smaller flocks and travel south. They now 
prefer the woods along the banks of rivers flowing southward. Especially the Mississippi, Wabash, 
and others, are such highways during migration. In their winter quarters they are very shy; rarely 
will they approach a human dwelling, preferring to stay in the depths of great forests, where they 
look for food among the dead leaves which cover the ground. 
* Like all of our smaller birds the Robin has many enemies. In gardens the cats catch many 
young and even old birds, in the woods Squirrels, Raccoons, Opossums, and many birds of prey kill 
them. Their greatest enemy, however, is man. Іп the South almost incalculable numbers are 
killed by white and black pot-hunters, and in many localities of the North many hundreds of almost 
fully-fledged young are taken from their nests and meet their doom in the kitchen. Such unreasonable 
slaughter should be stopped everywhere by the rigorous execution of the law for the protection 
of birds." 
From the observations of American naturalists it is evident that the Robin combines many 
characteristic habits of the European Blackbird (Merula merula) and the Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris), 
but this latter is never seen in such wonderful numbers on migration as 7. migratorius. 1 quote the 
following notes from Dr. W. W. Cooke's * Report on Bird Migration in the Mississippi Valley, as being 
one of the most interesting records of the migration of a bird ever published :—“ The Robin is a 
common summer resident in Manitoba and throughout the Mississippi Valley, except in the extreme 
