Cambridge, Mass.
(The Garden)
1900.
April 29
to
May 3
(No. 2)               
  One of the Robins on the place, a fine old male
which was one of the earliest arrivals this spring, has
become exceptionally tame. When he first came there
were evidently no worms at the surface of the ground
being an intelligent bird he observed that my men, 
who were then employed in excavating for a pond, threw 
out numbers of them in the loose earth. These he greedily
ate taking them at first after the men had left
their work but later hanging close about the edges of
the pit and occasionally making a dash at a 
worm which had only just fallen from the shovel.
During the past three days he has regularly followed
these same men who have been transplanting trees
and so bold has he become that I have repeatedly
seen him take worms within three or four feet of
one of the diggers. On several occasions indeed I
almost stepped on him and once when I threw
my trowel into the ground to remove a bunch of
violets he came running up and stopped within two
feet of my hand looking first at the upturned earth
and then into my face with his bright, honest eyes.
One of the men held out a wriggling worm to
this Robin yesterday and for a moment he
acted as if he were about to take it but he
finally decided not to do so and moved away.
He rarely uses his wings when following us about
or moving out of our way but runs from place
to place over the whole garden keeping always within
a few feet of us.
50