THE REDBREAST. 
cumstance occurred : — In a pantry, the window of which was 
kept open during the day, one of the birds constructed its nest 
early in the summer. The place selected was the corner of a 
moderately high shelf among pickle bottles, which being four- 
sided, gave the nest the singular appearance of a perfect square. j 
It was made of green moss, and lined with a little black hair ; j 
on the one side which was exposed to view, and that only, were j 
dead beech leaves. When any article near the nest was sought 
for by the housekeeper, the bird, instead of flying out of the j 
window, as might have been expected, alighted on the floor, j 
and waited there patiently until the cause of disturbance was | 
over, when it immediately returned to its nest. Five eggs were j 
laid, which, after having been incubated without success for the ! 
long period of about five weeks, were forsaken. The room | 
above this pantry was occupied as a bird- stuffing apartment : j 
after the redbreast had deserted the lower story, a bird of this j 
species, doubtless the same individual, visited it daily, and was j 
as often expelled. My friend, finding its expulsion of no avail, S 
had recourse to a novel and somewhat comical experiment. j 
Having a short time before received a collection of stuffed j 
Asiatic quadrupeds, he selected the most fierce-looking carni- 
vora and placed them at the open window, which they nearly 
filled up, hoping that them formidable aspect might deter the 
bird from future ingress : it was not, however, to be so frighted 
4 from its propriety,’ but made its entree as usual. The walls 
of the room, the tables in it, and nearly the entire floor were 
occupied by these stuffed quadrupeds. The perseverance of the 
robin was at length rewarded by a free permission to have its own 
way, when, as if in defiance of the ruse that was practised against 
it, the place chosen for its nest was the head of a shark, which 
hung on the wall (the mouth being gagged, may have prevented 
its being the site) ; while the tail, &c., of an alligator stuffed j 
served to screen it from observation. During the operation of 
forming this nest, the redbreast did not in the least regard the j 
presence of my friend, but both man and bird worked away I 
within a few feet of each other. On the 1st of June I saw it j 
seated on the eggs, which were five in number ; they were all 
productive, and the whole brood in due time escaped in safety.” 
A similar, and still more remarkable instance of this bird’s 
social qualities is related by the same authority. The story 
was given to him by a relative. 44 The two nests of a robin in 
the carpenter’s loft are placed on the corner of the wall support- 
ing the roof ; the foundation that serves for both nests is a 
194 
