680 
Wild Birds Usefid and Injnnous. 
Its food consists pidncipally of earthworms, slugs, spiders, 
woodlice, beetles, moths, and butterflies ; also of seeds and wild 
berries, those of the deadly nightshade for instance, and to 
some extent of fruit. In winter it frequents the neighbourhood 
of houses, and becomes practically omnivorous. It possesses 
a good appetite and great capacity ; for it is stated that one 
robin will devour fourteen feet of earthworms during the day. 
Though earthworms render valuable service in the fields, yet, 
as Mr. T. Wood has pointed out, they are by no means so de- 
sirable in a garden ; for when present in great abundance they 
do considerable damage to seedling plants by upsetting them 
Fig. 7.— Hcilgc-.sparrow, Accenlor mnduUiris. 
and by loosening the soil ai’ound their roots. I recently watched 
a very tame young robin, -with two small orange-red patches on 
the breast showing through the spotted plumage of infancy, 
busily hunting for food under raspberry and gooseberry bushes. 
It captured a quantity of insects, taking them from the ground, 
or flying up to the bushes above its head. Amongst others, it 
caught a fairly large moth, but did not succeed in disposing of 
it satisfactorily. It did not pay the least attention to the fruit, 
though it was hanging temptingly within easy reach. 
The Hedge-sparrow, Dunnock, Creepydyke, Hempie, Daddy 
Isaac, or Shufflewing {Accentor modMlaris), in many of its struc- 
tural and other characteristics closely resembles the robin. Its 
