The Pugnacious Robin 129 



window, but no farther. They will, however, sometimes 

 explore a room. 



I know a parlour the window of which was" partly 

 overhung by a similar pear tree, besides which there were 

 some shrubs just outside, and into this room, being quiet 

 and little used, the tomtits ventured every now and then. 

 I fancy the placing of flowers in vases on the table or on 

 the mantelpiece attracts birds to rooms, if they are still. 

 Insects visit the flowers ; birds look for the insects : and 

 this room generally abounded with cut flowers. Entering 

 it suddenly one day, a tomtit flew from side to side in great 

 agitation, and then dropped on the floor and allowed me 

 to pick it up without an effort to escape. The bird had 

 swooned from fright, and was quite helpless — the eyes 

 closed. On being placed outside the window, in five 

 minutes it came to itself and flew off feebly. In this way 

 birds may frequently become a prey to. cats and hawks 

 when to all appearance they might easily escape — becoming 

 so overwhelmed with alarm as to lose the power of motion. 



The robin is a most pugnacious creature. He will fight 

 furiously with a rival ; in fact, he never misses an oppor- 

 tunity of fighting. But he always chooses the very early 

 morning for these encounters, and so escapes suspicion, 

 except, of course, from people who rise early too. It is 

 even said that the young cock robins, when they are full 

 grown, turn round on their own parents and fight with 

 them vigorously. Neither is he a favourite with the upper 

 class of cottagers — for there is an ' upper ten ' even among 

 cottagers — who have large fruit-gardens. In these they 

 grow quantities of currants for preserving purposes. The 

 robin is accused of being a terrible thief of currants, and 

 meets with scant mercy. 



Sometimes while walking slowly along the footpath 



