I wallted over to li^ystic Pond tliis morning, and wiiile crossing 

 over Arlington Heights I fell in with the vastest floci: of Robins 

 I ever encountered in winter. There must have been upwards of 100 

 of them Their actions were just lilie what one observes when they 

 begin to gsther at their donaitories of a summer evening, I was 

 sirrprised and pleasedto find several of thera sinking although a 

 biting west wind --ras blov^ini^i at the time^ Tlie songs were Just as 

 as in the breeding-^season, save more subdued, — in fact exactly 

 like the songs heard at the roosts in early summer. 0,W,L<s "light 

 plumage" must refer to their backs for the breasts of all that I 

 examined denoted males in high plumage. In fact all the winter 

 Robins that I see, ---as v/ell as the earliest comers in the spring — 

 appear to be males. The attraction for the Robins on Arlington 

 Heights is the privet berries. The gro-ond under the bushes was 

 1it«$itn with their remains, and the fa'toes of the birds lay upon 

 the groiind as black as ink, 



Walter Faxon (letter January 13, I89I ). 



Waverly, Ivlass, 



3 f 1 



I have seen Robins (in the same place) January 6, 9, 10, 12. 

 1^ brother reports a large flock of Robins in Brookline, January 7 

 and 8, Torrey also reports them at Melrose, 



Walter 5'axon (letter January 12, I89I ). 



Robins seem to bB scarce here now, saw one on Thanksgiving Day, 

 none since, Walter Faxon (letter Decenlber 4, I89I), 



