20 THE AUDUBON SB ULL Eee 
Robin Snowball 
During the last week of May, 1922, a lady living in Henry, 
seven miles from my home in Lacon, Illinois, hearing a commo- 
tion in her yard, glanced out of the window and saw a white baby 
robin on the lawn, fluttering its little wings and opening its 
mouth at every bird that went near it. 
The little fellow was too young to 
be able to fly, apparently very 
hungry, and seemingly deserted 
by its parents, for an observation 
extending over a considerable 
time disclosed no bird paying at- 
tention to this ghost-like robin. 
Being of kind heart, and fearing 
the conspicuous plumage of the 
| helpless youngster would result 
j| in his destruction by boys or cats, 
_ she took him into the house and 
| put himinacage. The little fel- 
-™ low responded to kindness and 
% feed, becoming very tame, taking 
» most of his sustenance from her 
® hand and when big enough flying 
we over the house, following her 
from room to room, perched on 





| ut. meee her shoulder frequently. Later 
a ~~ he was moved into a larger out 
Fhote by HR. M. Barnes door cage and on July 22nd was 
given to me and brought to my home in Lacon. Here a cage three 
feet wide and four feet long and four feet high was built for him, 
and placed under a tree on the lawn. During the summer he was 
an object of much interest and curiosity to visitors and grew to 
be a normal robin in every respect except color, though for some 
reason he always maintained a dirty appearance. 
During my absence in August, the little rascal slipped out 
of the door of his cage as it was opened to put in the feed and, 
quick as a flash, he was gone. He remained at large until the 
afternoon of the next day, about thirty-six hours, when he 
quietly permitted one of the family to pick him up and transfer 
him again to his cage quarters in which he appeared thoroughly 
satisfied and glad to get back. 
About the 1st of October I moved the now adult bird into 
the house and turned him loose in a conservatory with glass 
sides and top 9 by 18 feet in which there are many dozen plants 
of all kind, and began feeding him prepared bird food such as 
is found in the bird stores for soft billed birds. The result was 
magical. Robin Snowball, immediately took to bathing once or 
twice a day, something he had declined to do while out in the yard 
except in very rare instances, which without doubt, accounted 
