The Number of Eggs Laid by the 

 Robin. 



BY SHELLY W. DENTON, WELLESLEY, MASS. 



As to the number of eggs n Robin {Merula 

 migmtoria) lays, I would state that a young 

 man who has collected many eggs bi-ought a 

 Robin's nest one day containing seven eggs. 

 I was rather doubtful in my own mind as to his 

 honesty in this case, although I had never had 

 reason to previously doubt his veracity. About 

 two weeks later, in a swamp of low bushes and 

 trees close to Charles River, I found a Robin's 

 nest placed in a pine tree near the end of a low 

 branch, containing six eggs, while immediately 

 under the nest was the seventh egg, whole and 

 unbroken lying on the leaves with which the 

 ground was carpeted. On this seventh egg 

 were three small snails, or "sings" as we com- 

 monly call them, that is, the kind without a 

 house on its back. On removing these slugs 



from the egg I noticed that wherever they had 

 attached themselves to the egg, the egg was 

 pure white, the slugs having absorbed all^e 

 coloring matter from the shell. 



Here was a nest containing six eggs, about 

 which there could be no question ; as to wheth- 

 er they were all laid by one bird it is impossi- 

 ble to say. Of course, one can iuiagine many 

 ways in which the nest came to have so many 

 eggs, but 1 am quite certain that in this case it 

 was not caused by the interference of human 

 beings, it being in a wild and secluded spot sel- 

 dom visited. 



Returning to the snail question, I would like 

 to ask what substance is it with which the slug 

 seems provided that will take the color from a 

 Robin's egg, when with soap we cannot wash it 

 off? O.&O. XII.Mar 1887.P ^V-Vr 



! I found a Robin's nest 

 built on ground or edge of root in this 

 place, and since I reported my nest of 

 seven eggs. A collector found one of six 

 and several of five at Peace Dale, E. I. 

 The nest of six was brought me, but none 

 of the fire sets, as my fi-iend was not 

 aware they were uncommon. After taking 

 the six eggs the bird laved two more and 

 then deserted nest. 



O.&O. vm.^^mm-.hs- 



6. W. Denton. 



1^ 



Welleeley, Mass. 



/(^vt-tot /vU-v vuiiL ^ ^S^^ ^j^o-^i^-fiy Jul. 



On the 15th of June, I found a nest of Robins, {Twnive 

 mkiraUiiins,) containing five eggs, tlie only one I ever saw 

 except tlic one found IjyMr. C. O. Tracy of Tafteville, Vt.~ 

 ]<: M. GiH,dii:in. 



O.&O. IX. Mar. 1884. p. , 



S. W. Dento 



