Deadly Combat between ait Albino Robin and a Mole. — The 

 following interesting and curious incident is quoted from a letter received 

 by me from Miss Maria B. Audubon, granddaughter of the celebrated 

 naturalist, dated Newark, N. J., February 4, 1878. — Ruthven Deanb. 



" We have had a Robin of the albino type which for two years has built its 

 nest in the same tree, and devoured an immense number of worms from the 

 lawn around the house. It became quite tame, and we naturally felt a sort of 

 ownership in it. One morning 1 saw somethiug moving or jumping on the 

 ground just under the tree, and on investigation it proved to be the Robin 

 engaged in deadly combat with a mole. I tried to drive the Robin away, and 

 found the mole had it firmly held by the wing. I set it free, and poked the 

 mole off with a stick to some distance 



The Robin flew to a branch of the tree, did not seem much hurt, plumed 

 itself, and finally disappeared among the foliage ; the mole, too, made off in an 

 unknown direction. I could find no reason for this unusual battle ; no corpses 

 of young Robins could be seen to make feasible the suggestion that a fledgling 

 had fallen from the nest and been attacked by the mole, thereby bringing 

 down the wrath of the parent bird ; we knew the mole had not climbed the- 

 tree, and we had never heard of a Robin eating a mole. 



"Neither party was seen again that day till towards evening, when the 

 Robin was again on the lawn as usual. The next morning I passed the tree 

 about the same hour as on the previous day, and there lay the mole and the Robin, 

 ' beautiful in death,' to use a poetic license, for they really looked very unpleas- 

 ant. Their bodies were not cold ; the Robin very much ruflled as to plumage 

 and bloody about the throat and under the right wing ; the mole with his glossy 

 coat ' all the wrong way,' and severely pecked about the head and throat. 

 There was no life in either after I found them." 



■all. N.O.O. 3, April. 1878, p. /f}^. 



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