208 
THE WILSON BULLETIN— December, 1922 
Robin (. Planesticus migrciitorius migratorius ) 
During the course of several years’ study of nestling birds and 
behavior of parents at the nest I had occasion to work at two 
robins' nests. The tirst one was a full day study at Sioux City, 
Iowa, and the second a period of ten hours spent over several 
days securing photographs. During this time notes were made 
on the behavior of the birds. 
Nest No. 1 was located in an apple tree about eight feet from 
the ground. It was in all respects a typical robin’s nest both in 
structure and location. It was necessary to build a plaform for 
the blind in order to see into the nest. The special purpose of 
the study was to determine if possible the amount of fruit fed to 
the young under favorable conditions. Within twenty yards of 
the nest tree lav a 2-acre held of strawberries and the edge of a 
20-acre cherry orchard a hundred and fifty yards away, both con- 
tabling an abundance of ripe fruit. The two nestlings were well 
grown, in fact almost ready to leave the nest. The nest was 
under observation from 4:20 a. m. until 8:00 p. m. on June 30, 
1013. 
During this time the female brought food to the nest 43 times 
and fed a total of 71 objects to the young. On ten occasions she 
fed both young from the supply she carried. Nestling No. 1 was 
fed 27 times and No. 2, 20 times. The food was somewhat roughly 
classified as follows: 15 crickets, 1 grasshopper, 5 maybeetles, 0 
other beetles, 1 bug, 10 cutworms, 4 other larvae, 22 earthworms, 
and 7 or more insects so badly mutilated as to be unrecognizable. 
As many as four earthworms were counted dangling from the 
beak on one trip. It is not desired that this be considered the 
maximum number but rather the minimum. In other words, out 
of a mass of worms carried four were actually distinguished out 
of possibly a greater number. 
The female did all the feeding, the male spending his time in 
the tops of nearby trees, singing. The young were well feathered 
out and the nest well shaded, which may account for the fact that 
there was no brooding while the nest was under observation. 
Early in the afternoon a farmer started plowing a piece of 
around about 150 yards away and the female at once commenced 
to visit this land to pick up the earthworms exposed by the plow. 
She continued to feed earthworms as long as the plowing was 
carried on. 
The amazing thing lo me in this day’s observations was the 
