Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-09-08
ROBINS IN ENGLAND.


Experiment in Breeding The Ameri-
can Birds There.
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 interest
ing to naturalists, is thus told by "a bird
lover'' in the columns OF the London
Mail.
sWhen went in June to see the robins,
| the first crisis of the experiment was oc-
curing. There are two crises-the birds
| must be induced to breed ana the young
must he reared. That is the first crisis.
The second has yet to come-the crisis Of
migration. II in the late summer or au-
tumn the birds, old and young, now at
home in the gardens and park, all disap-
| pear, the experiment-so far as the first
year goes-fails; for 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 crisis. Last spring seventeen
American robins nine cocks and eight
hens- brought from the United States,
were put in large out-of-door aviary.
When went to Guilford early in June
found that good many eggs had been
laid in several thrush and black bird 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-end fighting, and
some OF the eggs got broken. Accord
ingly, the bird-keeper took the eggs from
the aviary as theyiwere 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 result twenty-four young were
middle Of July, when next went to see
the birds.
"a few OF the young American robins
we're transferred from thrushes' nests to
boxes wired on one side, and the old birds
fed them. 4 But two young were found
dead one morning, and the keeper be-
lieved> they had been poisoned by their
foster parents through jealousy or wan
ing 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 identity the species. The chief
bird keeper thinks it is . red ant.
Snow comes the most interesting part
OF the experiment SO far. Save for two or
three pairs, the adult American robins
were all relesed from the avisry on the
day on which the young were found dead
roughly, think about the middle OF
June. They paired and set about nest
building almost at once.
"a nest was found in the branch OF
cedar OF Lebanon on the terrace; and in
another cedar found q nest myself in
July, but ! think it had been deserted.
There were three young in this first nest
all but ready to fly when / saw it on July
II and IS. coul 4 see the fun on their
heads as they peered over the side Of the
nest, which was made, externally, Of dried
grass from q meadow just beyond the ter
race. / believe that three other nests were
known of, one in the wild garden by the
river Wey, another in q little copse or
spinney in the park. The cocks sang
finely iii 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 fiedged and
flown chicks.
$50 far the experiment has been re-
markably successful. The great question,
Of course, is, will any Of the birds, old or
young, stay on at Guiiford, or will they
one and all disappear completely from
England understand that, though this
thrush is bird of very strong migratory
habit, a few do stay throughout the year
in North America. If 90, is there . chance
of some Of these birds-thsy must number
upward OF fifty-staying through the au-
tumn and winter in England? The ex-
pertinent is not only an interesting one in
naturalization, but in migration as WELL
II these birds, or any Of them, stay in
England through the autumn and winter,
they will stay at Guilford, 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, il 1t is easy to see the birds now in the
full of tine leaf, it will be much easier to
see them later when the leaf is off,"
hope to supplement this account Of the
American robins later, and record
whether they stay or how late they stay.
Meanw nile it is well to know that if this
years experiment fails, and the birds dis
appear completely, it is to be repeated
next year. The thing, feel, deserves at
least thorough trial extending over two
years.
WEST BROOKLYN.