The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-09-18

~
' robin is the best-known
and most popular of all wild
birds. It's song at dawn is the
first note of the day to millions
of ears. It's bright waistcoat IS
the first color Of spring in many
latitudes, followed by the cheer
full contrast Of the first green
buds of the year.
But over vast areas of the SOUTH
land robins are known only as WIN
ter residents. They neither PROBE
the lawns for worms nor sing IN the
gardens. In scattered focks they
| frequent the open pine woods or
run about on the ground where the
wire grass has been recently
burned. They come about planta--
ton houses and negro cabins, and
feed on the haf-dried berries hang
ing in clusters from the China trees.
At this season robins grow lat
and are easy to secure, so to many
a southern boy comes the tempta-
ton to shoot a string of them to take
home for his mother to cook IN
stew or robin pie.
It has not been very many years
| since there were no robin protection
| laws in the southern states. In fact,
for long time after the settlement
of what is now the United States
the robin was regarded as a game
bird that might be killed at any
time of the year and in any manner.
The first state to pass law Tor
the protection of the robin was
| Massachusetts, which in 1913 made
it a misdemeanor to kill robins dur
ing a period Of four months and
four days each year. After July 4,
however, and until March l of the
following year, this early law pro-
vided, they might be taken at any
| time.
Virginia was the first state south
of the Potomac river to prohibit
the killing of robins. After two years
of strenuous effort by the Audubon
association, a petition with 10000
signatures was presented to the
state legislature and law was
| passed on March /, 1912.
Game Wardens Stop Massacre.
At four o'clock one afternoon in
| January, 1881, a group Of men stood
| on a low hillside in the southern
United States and watched robins
| as they came in countless fiocks to
roost in far-stretching titi thicket
| below them.
It was a stimulating sight, for as
| the day waned the numbers of birds
increased to amazing proportions.
In every direction the sky was
| filed with streaming clouds of rob-
ins, all converging toward the
swamp. Tens of thousands were
arriving every minute, and the flight
continued until dark.
"a noise very much like the sound
of the surf was made by the birds
wings when they settled down to
roost," wrote one observer.
The men on the hillside were
| Joined by others until, when dark
ness fell, about 200 were assembled.
The company now moved from its
point of observation and surrounded
a large area of trees and low bushes
where myriads of sleepy robins
were crowded on limbs and tWigs
With torches and flashlights, the
men pushed their way into the
thicket, and with sticks and stout
clublike branches of trees, began tc
beat from their perches the light
blinded and bewildered birds. Many
were killed, others injured, and still
others captured unhurt to be pu
to death by the pressure of ruth
less thumb and consigned to the
sacks which all the men carried.
Such massacres had been going or
at this Alabama winter roost fol
robins for some time, undisturbed
But suddenly a cry arose, a CRY
taken up and passed from man tt
man throughout the 50-acre swamp
1t was new sound; it had never
before been heard in a Crenshav
county robin roost: Game war
dens!"
Guilty. the men worked their way
out of the titi bushes and began II
hurry away in all directions. There
were only two wardens, but they sue
ceeded in stopping AZ of the robir
killers. The majority of those ar
rested had thrown away their sack!
of birds. but from the few captured
the wardens dumped 375 dead rob
ins, which we're confiscated and Civ
en- TO the local poorhouses and to /;
hospital, to be cooked for the in
mates.
He Is One of the Thrush Family.
1t may surprise some old friend
OF the robin to learn that the red