The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-27
AMERICAN ROBINS
TAKEN TO ENGLAND
Lord Northcliffe, Admitting the
Birds Here, Tries Breed
ing Them.
REAL TEST YET TO COME
QUESTION or MIGRATION WHEN
THE SNOW COMES Is STILL TO
BE ANsWEREp-ARE WATCH
ING THE NESTS.

vW0 b06 N6Ot0s
London, Sept. 27.-.Lord Northcliffe.
during one Of his visits to the United
States fell in love with the American
robin, which is very different from
the English bird of the same name.
and determined to try and introduce
the American robin into England. The
story OF the experiment, which is very
interesting to naturalists. Is thus told
by "a bird-lover" in the columns of
The Daily Mail:
when / went In June to see the
robins. the first crisis OF the expert
ment was occurring. There are two
crises-the birds must be induced to
breed and the young must be reared.
That Is the first crisis. The second
has yet to come-the crisis of migra-
ton. II In the late summer or autumn
the birds, old and young. now at home
in the gardens and park, all disappear,
the experiment--so far as the first
year goes-fails; for I can hardly
think that in such case there would
be = chance of their returning in the
spring OF 1910. On the other hand, the
bird keepers and watchers have come
with success through the earlier cri-
sis. Last spring seventeen American
Tobins-nine cocks and eight hens
brought from the United States we're
put in large cut-of-door aviary
When l went to Guildford early in
June found that good many eggs
had been laid in several thrush and
blackbird nests fixed in the aviary and
furnished UP with dry grass and clay
by the breeding birds. But several Of
the hens laid in the same nest. there
was rivalry and fighting. and some Of
the eggs got broken. Accordingly, the
bird keeper took the eggs from the
aviary as they were laid. and set them
in clutches of three to five in song
thrushes' and blackbirds' nests in the
gardens. Most of the eggs were put
under thrushes, but two lots were put
In blackbirds' nests. AS a result
twcnty-four young were known to
have Matched out before the middle
of July. when next went to see the
birds.
"A few Of the young American rob-
ins were transferred from thrushes'
nests to boxes wired on one side, and
the old birds fed them. But two young
were found dead one morning, and the
keeper believed they had been poison
ed by their foster parents through
jealously or waning affection. So the
other young then being reared were
allowed to go free. The old thrushes
were to be constantly seen feeding the
young American. robins on the lawns
after this. They appeared to feed
them chiefly ON some small insect
found In the short grass. but have
not been able to identify the species.
The chief bird keeper thinks 1t Is a
red ant.
Now comes the most. interesting
part Of the experiment so far. Save
for two or three pairs. the adult Am
erican robins were all released from
the aviary on the day on which the
young were found dead-roughly,
think, about the middle of June. They
paired and set about nest-building al
most at once.
"A nest was found in the branch of
cedar of Lebanon on the terrace;
and in another cedar found a nest
myself In July, but think 1t had been
deserted. There were three young in
this first nest all but ready to fly
when I saw it on July II and July Is.
could see the huff on their heads as
they peered over the side of the nest,
which was made, externally, of dried
grass from meadow just beyond the
terrace. believe that three other
nests were known of, one in the wild
garden by the River Wey, another in
= little copse or spinney in the park.
The cocks sang finely In June and
July, was told; have not yet heard
the song only heard the call of the
old birds as they fed their chicks and
the call Of the fledged and flown
chicks
80 far the experiment has been re-
markably successful. The great ques-
ton Of course. is, will any Of the birds,
old .or young. stay on at Guildford, or
will they one and all disappear COM
pletely from England? I understand
that. though this thrush is a bird Of
very strong migratory habit. few do
stay throughout the year In North Am
erica. II 80. Is there chance of some
Of these birds-they must number up
ward Of fifty-staying through the
autumn and winter In England? The
experiment IL not only an interesting
ono In acclimatization. but In migra-
ton as well. II these birds. or any Of
them. stay in England through the
autumn and winter. they viii stay at
Gufldford. have small doubt. They
have been fed there. and the whole
place seems well suited to them. So
that. should they stay In England. we
shall easily be able to establish the
fact: for. II 1t Is easy to see the birds
nov In the full OF the leaf. it will be
much easier to see them later when
the leaf ID off.
Remembered Whole Deeles. I.
Wa1ter savage LAndor carried hi
&heary = - bad. When be had read
book ~ always gave It away on
pEjncipio. having. n 10 said. observed
a..