THE ROBIN. 



31 



a winter passes but innumerable thousands of them are seen 

 in the lower parts of the whole Atlantic States, from New 

 Hampshire to Carolina, particularly in the neighbourhood of 

 our towns ; and, from the circumstance of their leaving, during 

 that season, the country to the northwest of the great range 

 of the Alleghany, from Maryland northward, it would appear 

 that they not only migrate from north to south, but from west 

 to east, to avoid the deep snows that generally prevail on these 

 high regions for at least four months in the year. 



The robin builds a large nest, often on an apple tree, plas- 

 ters it in the inside with mud, and lines it with hay or fine 

 grass. The female lays five eggs of a beautiful sea-green. 

 Their principal food is berries, worms, and caterpillars. Of 

 the first, he prefers those of the sour gum (Nyssa sylvatica). 

 So fond are they of gum-berries, that, wherever there is one of 

 these trees covered with fruit, and flocks of robins in the 



nets and various kinds of snares ; with the severity of the season, how- 

 ever, and the difference of food, the flesh acquires a bitter flavour, which 

 renders them unfit for culinary purposes, and affords a temporary respite 

 from their merciless persecutions. 



The title Merida, which Mr Swainson and several of our modern 

 ornithologists have adopted, was used by Ray only as a subgenus among 

 his " Turdinum genus," and contained that division to which the black- 

 bird and ringousel would belong ; Tardus being confined to those with 

 spotted breasts. I do not consider the very trifling difference in form 

 between the plain and spotted species to be of sufficient importance, and 

 prefer retaining the generic name of Turdus, as one well known and 

 long accepted. 



Robin seems to be applied in America generally to several of the 

 thrushes, some expletive going before to designate the species by its 

 habits, as wood robin, swamp robin, ground robin, &c. Our present 

 species is the robin ; and, as the preceding was a favourite on account 

 of its song, this is no less so from the unassuming and dependent fami- 

 liarity of its manners : it was most probably this, joined with the colour 

 of the breast, Avhich first suggested the name of our own homely bird 

 to the earlier British settlers, and along with it part of the respect with 

 which its namesake is treated in this country. 



An African species, Turdus olivaceus (le Griveron, Vieill.) is nearly 

 allied in the distribution of the markings. I have another, I believe, 

 from South America, which approaches both nearly. — Ed. 



