THE REDBREAST. 
159 
nest in the fold of a bed-curtain in an occupied chamber. Its 
absence being preferred to its presence there., the room window 
was closed against the intruder, in consequence of which the first 
egg was laid outside on the bare window-sill. This circumstance 
caused pity for the bird, the window was re-opened, and the egg 
placed in the nest, where the usual number was duly deposited 
and incubated. One young bird only was produced, which was 
overfed to such a degree that it grew to a most unnatural size, 
but did not long survive, falling a victim probably to too good 
living. Butter is so great a dainty to these birds, that in a friend’ s 
house, frequented during the winter by one or two of them, the 
servant was obliged to be very careful in keeping what was 
in her charge covered, to save it from destruction : if unprotected, 
it was certain to be eaten. I have known them to visit labourers 
at breakfast hour to eat butter from their hands,* and enter 
a lantern to feast on the candle. One, as I have been assured, 
was in the constant habit of entering a house in a tan-yard 
in Belfast by the window, that it might feed upon tallow, when 
the men were using this substance in the preparation of the 
hides. But even further than this, I have seen the redbreast 
exhibit its partiality for scraps of fat, & c. Being present one day 
in December, 1837, when the golden eagle described at page 3 
was fed, a robin, to my surprise, took the eagle’s place on the 
perch the moment that he descended from it to the ground to eat 
some food given him, and when there, picked olf some little frag- 
ments of fat, or scraps of flesh ; this done, it quite unconcernedly 
alighted on the chain by which the “ rapacious ” bird was 
fastened.! I at the same time learned that this robin regularly 
visited the eagle’s abode at feeding-time, though as yet there was 
* Robins and other small birds seem to have a good idea of time, as evinced by 
their coming to particular spots at the period of the day when food is given to 
them. This species in particular I have known to come to the window-sill just at 
the breakfast hour, when a few crumbs were given it, and not at any other hour 
throughout the day. 
t Although this robin escaped the golden eagle unscathed, as much cannot be 
said for one which occasionally entered the kitchen at the Falls and sang there : 
having one day alighted on a cage in which a toucan was kept, this bird with its 
huge bill seized and killed it. 
