208 
THE WILSON BULLETIN—December, 1922 
Robin {Plmiesticus niigrcitorius migrator vus) 
During the course of several }^ears’ study of nestling birds and 
behavior of parents at the nest I had occasion to work at two 
robins’ nests. The first one Avas a full day study at Sioux City, 
loAva, 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 iii 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 determiue if possible the amount of fruit fed to 
the young under favorable conditions. Within twenty yards of 
the nest tree lay a 2-acre field of straAvberries and the edge of a 
20-acre cherry orchard a hundred and fifty yards away, both con- 
taining an abundance of ripe fruit. The two nestliiigs were well 
groAvn, ill 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, 
1913. 
During this time the female bronght 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 aauis someAvhat ronghly 
classified as folloAvs : 15 crickets, 1 grasshopper, 5 maybeetles, 6 
other beetles, 1 bug, 10 cutAvorms, 4 other larvae, 22 eartliAVorms, 
and 7 or more insects so badly mutilated as to be unrecognizable. 
As many as four eartliAvorms were counted dangling from the 
beak on one trip. It is not desired that this be considered the 
maximum uiimber but rather the minimum. In other words, out 
of a mass of Avorms carried four Avere 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 Avell feathered 
ont and the nest Avell shaded, Avhich may account for the fact that 
there Avas no brooding Avhile the nest Avas under observation. 
Early in the afternoon a farmer started ploAving a piece of 
ground about 150 yards aAvay and the female at once commenced 
to visit this land to pick up the earthworms exposed by the plow. 
She continued to feed eartliAvorms as long as the ploAving was 
carried on. 
The amazing thing to me in this day’s observations was the 
