GATHERED BY THE WAY 



it. The robin was disturbed at first, but soon went 

 on with her incubating in the new and more exposed 

 position. The same spring one built her nest upon 

 a beam in a half-finished fruit house, going out and 

 in through the unshingled roof. One day, just as the 

 eggs were hatched, we completed the roof, and kept 

 up a hammering about the place till near night ; the 

 mother robin scolded a good deal, but she did not 

 desert her young, and soon found her way in and 

 out the door. 



If a robin makes up her mind to build upon your 

 porch, and you make up your mind that you do not 

 want her there, there is likely to be considerable 

 trouble on both sides before the matter is settled. 

 The robin gets the start of yOu in the morning, and 

 has her heap of dry grass and straws in place before 

 the jealous broom is stirring, and she persists after 

 you have cleaned out her rubbish half a dozen times. 

 Before you have discouraged her, you may have to 

 shunt her off of every plate or other " coign of van- 

 tage" with boards or shingles. A strenuous bird 

 indeed, and a hustler. 



VIII. THE CROW 



One very cold winter's morning, after a fall of 

 nearly two feet of snow, as I came out of my door 

 three crows were perched in an apple tree but a few 

 rods away. One of them uttered a peculiar caw as 

 they saw me, but they did not fly away. It was not 

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