The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-08

n Cltditu liz "IiIGi1ioSS
the Robin has followed.
From Mexico to the
1-r.nn the traveller needs it, and
The residents will tell him of it's
aiming and going. 1t has passed into
The literature of the country. and one
reads Of it in the books of science and
al romance. Poets weave its image
inso their Witchery OF rhyme, lovers
Go"dIy spy upon its wooing, and by the
Preside of every household children
lin it name when the stories are
t,ld in the twilight.
In Spring.
Heedless indeed is the ear that does
net hearken when the Robin sings.
Loud and clear it calls at dawn, and
sweet are the childhood memories It
brings OF fresh green fields swept by
l,utIe winds and apple blossoms filled
with dew.
one spring. a pair built their nest
IN the limb of q baieam standing be-
side 4 much-used walk near my home.
Tn gathering the material for the nest,
Tive greatest care was exercised to
work at hose hours when there was
the least chance OF being observed.
Thus. the greater part was done in
the early morning when few people
were astir. Perhaps one reason for
this was that the blades Of dead grass,
tWigs. and other nesting material,
& tiANh CO.. tiiN iE>1h Ih'N
deWs of night, and We're much more
easily woven into position thar after
they had become dry and brittle. Only
during the last few days OF construc-
ton did l detect the birds working in
The afternoon. The mud for their
nest was found by a little pool at the
end Of a leaky horse-trough.
on April 18th the nest appeared to
lie completed, for no more materials
We're brought. On the 22nd the fe-
V1n 49, aA" ~-o hn-
tail, extending over n side of the
nest, her bill pointing upward at a
sharp angle from the other. \ flew
off the first day When the half nun
dred boys who frequented the walk
came along on their way to dinner.
Put she soon became accustomed TO
them. and would sit quietly. although
numerous heads passed within five or
six feet, No one disturbed the nest
with its four blue eggs. and on May
9Th 7 saw her feeding the young ones.
0 days after this event, I noticed
the heads Of the youglings bObbing
above the rim of the nest. They were
gaining strength ia pidly.
The morning of May 18th was cool.
and q drfzzling rain had been falling
fer some hours. This dreary morning
happened to come OF the day when
the young Robins desired to leave the
nest Rain could neither d4mpen their
desire nor check their plans At Z
O'Clock three OF them were Iounf S3C-
tins m~oticnless. a foot ~ more from
the nest. on the limb which held it.
Each had gathered itself into as small
a space as possible. and, with head
drawn close, seemed w9iting for some
hing to happen. But their eyes We're
bright, as they looked ont over the
vast expanse Of the lawn before them
that trackless region to explore
bnt they dared rot vet trust th0f"
strength. The fourth one could not be
found. The mex day two others dis
appeared. after spending some hours
Of Joyous, happy life on the grass and
in the ~shTubbery. / strongly suspected
The academy cat knew where they
had gone.
Knowing tina the family would
never return to the nest. I remove It
from the limb, for I wanted to see
how the wonderful structure vas put
t0gether. In its building, q franlnwork
Of lender halsam twigs bad frst been
used. There We're sixty-three of these.
some Of which were as much as a foot
in length. interviewed with these
were twenty fragments of weeds
stalks and grass stems. The yellow
clay cup, which came next inside.
varied in thickness from a quarter OF
an inch at the rim to an inch at the
bottom. Grass worked in with the
clay while it was yet soft aided in
holding it together, AID now. last
of al came the mooth, dry carne.
Of fine grass. The whole structure
measured eight inches across the TOD:
inside it was three inches in width,
and one and . half d"en- 1t va on
Of those wonderful objects which is
made for a and it had served
that we'll.
I'm Winter.
Tt is good to watch the Robins VIII en-
. touch Of autumn ic in the air and
the ~waraer-'uet IS strong upon Thorn.
On rapidly beating wings thew drive
swiftly across the fields. or na1lse on
the topmost spray OF a roadside tree
and look eagerly away 70 the south
ward. Their calls are sharp and in