The Robin 
183 
Slaughter of 
Robins 
ruthless way in which, Audubon tells us, men destroyed so many Wild 
Pigeons during the last century. Here is an authentic 
account of the raiding of one such roost, given to the Robh^lfoost 
writer by Dr. P. P. Claxton, United States Com- 
missioner of Education, who was familiar with many of the details: 
“The roost to which I refer was situated in what is known as a 
‘cedar glade/ near Fosterville, Bedford County, Tennessee. This is a 
great cedar country, and Robins used to come in immense numbers 
during the winter months to feed on the berries. By the middle of a 
winter’s afternoon the birds would begin coming by our house in 
enormous flocks, which would follow one another like great waves mov- 
ing on in the direction of the roost. They would continue to pass until 
night. We lived fifteen miles from the roost, and it was a matter of 
common observation that the birds came in this manner from all quarters. 
“The spot which the roost occupied was not unlike numerous others 
that might have been selected. The trees grew to a height from five 
to thirty feet, and for a mile square these were literally loaded at night 
with Robins. Hunting them while they roosted was 
a favorite sport. A man would climb a cedar tree 
with a torch, while his companions, with poles and 
clubs, disturbed the sleeping hundreds on the adjacent trees. Blinded 
by the light, the suddenly awakened birds flew to the torch-bearer, who, 
as he seized each one, would quickly pull ofif its head, and drop it into a 
sack suspended from his shoulder. 
“The capture of three or four hundred birds was an ordinary night’s 
work for any hunter. Men and boys would come in wagons from all the 
adjoining counties and camp near the roost for the purpose of killing 
Robins, so that often a hundred or more hunters, with torches and clubs, 
would be at work in a single night. For three years this tremendous 
slaughter continued in winter, and then the survivors deserted the roost.” 
These are almost identically the methods formerly employed in kill- 
ing untold thousands of Wild Pigeons (see Leaflet No. 6) in the past; 
and they resulted in the utter extinction of those valuable birds. 
That protection should be extended to the Robin because of its 
economic value as a destroyer of injurious insects is the united opinion 
of many observers, despite the objection sometimes 
raised that it is too fond of small fruits. The United 
States Department of Agriculture, which looks so 
carefully into various subjects of vital importance to our country, sent 
Waldo L. McAtee, an expert naturalist, to Louisiana one winter, and 
he made many observations on the feeding-habits of these birds. Under 
date of February 20, 1910, he reported : 
“I collected twelve Robins near here yesterday, and got the follow- 
ing results from an examination of their gizzards : Eight had eaten noth- 
ing but insects, the other four had taken, respectively, 95, 80, 65 and o per 
cent, of insects and other invertebrates. The insects eaten included grass- 
Economic 
Value 
