File:Stories about birds of land and water (1874) (14727833286).jpg

Identifier: storiesaboutbird00kirb (find matches)
Title: Stories about birds of land and water
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Kirby, Mary, 1817-1893 Kirby, Elizabeth, 1823-1873
Subjects: Birds -- Juvenile literature
Publisher: Hartford (Conn.) : American Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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ng toreceive the crumbs allotted to him, and to repay us with his brisk little song.In the summer, amid the crowd of feathered friends, he seemed to pass fromour notice. And he had his own affairs to look after—to build the nest, andrear the young. Now this busy, anxious season is over, and he bethinks him-self of his old friends, and draws near the gardens, where perchance a straygrub may remain or be hidden under the grass, and where the friendly handwill give him crumbs. His appearance and his attitude arc known to every one. He stands, hishead a little raised, his wings drooping, his mild, pleasant eye beaming withintelligence. Sometimes he spies a worm wriggling in the grass, and he givesa hop towards it, and pecks it, and devours as much as he can. Then heresumes his former position. Now and then he sings his few sweet notes froma wall or a decaying stump. His flight is rapid, but consists of short quickstarts from one place to another. Now he is on the bush, now on the fence.
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^i^S^^Wp^-s^llli THE NIGHTINGALE. 78 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. If you are digging in your garden, he drops down silently close besideyou, so that you can almost touch him; but if you look at him, he hops onto the railing, or to some safe place. The next moment he is down again,looking for worms. Though sociable with us, he is very quarrelsome with his neighbours, andhas a great dislike to the sparrow, and will peck at and fight fiercely withhim. And he has many a fray with his brother robins. Two of them were onceseen contending with such violence, that they rolled together on the gardenwalk. Indeed, one would have killed the other if they had not been parted. Nor is the robin on such friendly terms with man at all seasons. It ishunger that makes him so tame as to venture almost within our doors. Whether he knows it or not, he is in most cases perfectly safe. Eversince the time of the babes in the wood, no one would think of hurtinga robin. The nest of the robin is placed under a hedge or

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