Norwich bulletin., 1910-03-05

grief for this slaughter. let us look
again into the character OF the robin.
readers of The Bulletin who can view
the prospect of fewer robins with per-
feet equanimity; for the robin is not
an unmixed blessing.
The writer would not care to see the
robin exterminated; for like all persons.
and more than some as he is a native
of state farther north than Connectf-
| cut, he greets the first rabin OF spring.
| He greets gladly the first, but feels far
differently over the ninety -nine which
follow the first
The robin is not truly an insectivor-
Gus bird at least that is not it's pres
! ent nature; it is now frugivorous. Be-
| fore the first fruits appear and while
the upper coil is loose with moisture.
| the robin feeds upon the earthworm
largely, if not entirely If Darwin was
right in his deductions. then the robin
does harm and not good in It's destruc-
ton of these worms. Although this
diet of worms does not cease all
| through the warm season. as soon as
possible the robin feaSts upon all the
small fruits. 1t goes the rounds OF
Strawberries, cYrrants, cherries, rasp-
berries. blueberrteS, huckleberrieS,
bIackberries, wild cherries and grapes.
I personally know that it feasts upon
all these fruits, but am ignorant as to
what fruits should be added to this
list.
We have some birds. to kill one of
which is folly objectionable. The blue
bird, the chipping sparrow, and many
others have a diet which consists al
most wholly of insects. Though the
| writer is a rather careful student OF
Nature, he never yet has seen a. robin
eat other insects than grasshoppers.
This must not be construed as de-
NAL that the robin does eat other in
sects.
1t is not generally known that the
owner of a grapevine, at night a vine
heavy with beautiful clusters OF grapes,
has the robin to blame for the despoil-
ed grapes which he finds upon his
morning rounds. Cluster after cluster
will show its three, five. ten grapes
with ragged holes. The English SPAR
row shares with the robin this perni-
cion despoliation OF delicious fruit. The
deed is done about the time the day
breaks, an hour or SO before 1t is like
ly to be seen.
II a census were taken there is not a
shadow of doubt that the robin popula-
ton of last year would prove to be
much larger than that OF q score or
years ago. The protection OF this bird
has brought about this increase. is
there also a shadow of doubt that dur
ing that time insect pests of various
sorts have increased In population?
That insects have increased is not the
fault of the robin, but that they have
not been kept down through the in
crease of the robin population is strong
Drima facie evidence that the robin is
| a bird which has undue credit.
Our laws punish by a fine of $40 the
death of a robin. We smile or crack
a joke over the death of a toad. We
vie with one another to kill a HARM
| less snake. We go out of our way
to crush the nest of a hornet or yellow
| Jacket. Yet the toad, the snake. the
| hornet. the yellow jacket are each and
all better friends to Us than is the rob-
| in.
While you smile at that last para
graph. remember that the truth is the
/ truth. We may be long finding the
truth, and the failure to find it may
be costly for a long time, but when
eventually we do find II we see that it
| is the truth. In a later letter, Mr..
Editor will with your permission try to
show why the death of o toad, the kill
| ing of the brown and the green snakes,
| the crushing of a hornets nest Is a.
greater error than Is the killing OF a
robin.
While we exert every effort to bring
about the protection of birds truly
helpful in their habits. Bringing about
national legislation to that end IL nee
essary, believe that we can view with
out alarm. at least SO long as the high
prices hold, this feasting OF the south
ALLEN LATHAM.
Norwich Town, March 3, 1910.
(Robin Red Breast has been greatly
diminished in New England in the past
half century; and believing less in in
secticides and more in birds we hope
the day will come when all useful
birds will be greatly increased In this
country. The toll OF fruit they take in
the way of currants and grapes from
US we are glad to have them enjoy. We
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