448 The Robin's Food. [July, 
Prof. Packard, as to its abitat as a probable egg-parasite upon the 
Megachile or pon another parasite of this bee, and agrees with 
the measurement he made of its size and the description of such 
parts as his probably damaged specimen enabled him to deter- 
mine, except in an important particular of the wings. In the 
example before me I find the wings entire, not fissured. This 
would have induced doubts as to the species had not Prof. Packard 
himself seen this specimen and concurred with me as to its iden- 
tity. - 
It is not improbable that the dissection of other leaf-cutter bees 
in water, might lead to the washing off and securing of other 
specimens of this minutest of Hymenoptera, and the beauty of 
the little insect itself, with its rarity, would well repay the natural- 
ist for some pains in adding it to his collection. 
:O: 
THE ROBIN’S FOOD. 
BY DAVID ALEXANDER LYLE. 
N the morning of May 28th, of last year (1877), I found a 
robin’s ( Turdus migratorius) nest, about 27 feet from the ground, 
ina fir tree. It was placed on horizontal twigs near the top. The 
materials of this nest were the dried blades and roots of grasses. 
` A string over four feet long was found looped around one of the 
limbs on which the nest was built, but no part of its length was in- 
corporated in the structure. Notwithstanding the protestations of 
the old birds, I took the ugly-looking ‘thrushlet from the nest and 
carried it home, with the intention of rearing it to maturity if 
possible. I procured a large rectangular wire cage, in which, 
with all due tenderness, I installed my foundling. I furnished 
him plentifully with stores of boiled eggs and mashed potatoes, 
mixed as prescribed by those paragons of female character who 
are self-constituted authorities upon the subject of avian cuisine, 
I placed conveniently for his use a bath of pure water, and also 
filled his water-cup. Yet, in the midst of all these delicate atten- 
tions, my baby bird steadfastly maintained an air of utter indiffer- 
ence. He neither ate nor drank, but sat, all drawn up on the bot- 
tom of the cage, giving vent to an occasional weak chirp. I 
tried to make him eat by taking little pieces of bread and hard- 
boiled egg in my fingers and approaching them to his bill after 
