8 Birds Every Child Should Know 
life to them just as bread is to children, but 
robins destroy vast quantities of other worms 
and insects more injurious to the farmers’ crops, 
so that the strawberries and cherries they take 
in June should not be grudged them. 
A man of science, who devoted many hours of 
study to learn the great variety of sounds made 
by common barnyard chickens in expressing 
their entire range of feeling, from the egg shell 
to the axe, could entertain an audience de- 
lightfully for an evening by imitating them. 
Similar study applied to robins would reveal 
as surprisingly rich results, but probably less 
funny. No bird that we have has so varied a 
repertoire as Robin Goodfellow, and I do not 
believe that any boy or girl alive could recognise 
him by every one of his calls and songs. His 
softly warbled salute to the sunrise differs from 
his lovely even-song just as widely as the 
rapturous melody of his courting days differs 
from the more subdued, tranquil love song to 
his brooding mate. Indignation, suspicion, 
fright, interrogation, peace of mind, hate, cau- 
tion to take flight — these and a host of other 
thoughts, are expressed through his flexible 
voice. 
Toward the end of June, you may see robins 
flying in flocks after sun-down. Old males and 
young birds of the first brood scatter themselves 
over the country by day to pick up the best 
