Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-08-03

The robin in most parts OF the country
is too common o bird to need an introduce
ton to any one except an urbanite. How
ever. even those who think that they have
nothing to learn about the robin will be
surprised how much OF interest and value
can be cleaned by systematic study OF
the life history OF this species during an
entire year. let this embrace notes on
the migration. courtship, home building.
food, both for young and adults, how long
before young can care for themselves, how
many broods in Q season, habits after
breeding season, etc.
Such records will serve to remove any
prejudices and give an amount OF real
pleasure that cannot be appreciated until
realized by actual participation. More
over, such . complete and intimate
knowledge OF bird will excite . desire
for facts regarding other species which
can better be obtained by observation
than from books, and thus the observer
will soon be able to name all the common
their relations to mankind. The more a
person Investigates nature the broader,
fuller and more complete becomes his own
life, and in proportion to his subjugation
OF nature is his own development, physi-
caliy, mentally and morally.
Whenever the robin breeds within the
confines OF civilization, man is its friend,
and q mutual attachment has grown up
that borders on sentiment. The man ex-
tends his protection and the bird rewards
by making his home almost under the
same roof tree, displaying . confidence in
his human brother that Is begotten by
lack OF fear.
In the robins winter home In the south
land ell is different, for there no sentiment
but that OF gastronomcs is displayed;
the bird is simply = tender morsel to be
made an integral part OF Q stew or q pie.
In central Tennessee are large tracts OF
cedars, the berries OF which serve to
attract myriads OF robins in the winter.
One small hamlet in this district sends to
market annually enough robins to return
500, at five cents dozen equal to Ii, 900
birds. Ny informant naively says:
.'They are easily caught at night in the
roost in young cedars; we go to the roost
with torch and kill them with sticks;
others climb the trees and catch the
robins as they fly in"
One OF the officers of the Louisiana
Audubon society furnishes the follow ing
information regarding robin slaughter in
his own state: .rhey are commonly
killed for home consumption for market
ing, conservative estimate OF The number
killed annually being from quarter OF a
million in ordinary years to million
when they are unusually plenty During
the past winter one gunner killed over 800
robins in one day, and in one village in the
state the boys and young men are vieing
with each other for q record in robin kill
ing. the present high score being 200 birds
in one day" Better, by far, sentiment
than slaughter, as the one preserves and
the other destroys hat is Of great value.
as will be proven later.
That the robin is q very beneficial bird
there is no doubt, although it is claimed
by some persons, especially small fruit
growers, that it eats cultivated fruit to an
injurious extent. This charge, the
evidence shows, is confined to special
localities and to very limited period, and
is not at all general.