them, using the house as a spaniel would; rarely absent from the
breakfast-table, accompanying them in their walks, and perching on the
hand at call. Ii died, an old bird, on the night of Murphy's Frost,
which it was extremely unwilling to lace, instead of the warm fireside.
One has been known to enter a room where a person was writing, and
perch upon the inkstand, returning again after flying out, to sing for
sometime; another entered a room, and rested on the knee of a person
sitting there. A curious instance of somewhat analogous to reasoning
power in a bird of this species, is related in the ' Magazine of Natural
History,' volume viii, pages 545-6:—'It was observed standing upon
a bough which overhung a stream, and intently watching some object
which was floating down the water. When it came opposite to him he
darted down upon it, took it in his claws, and was flying away with it,
but being too heavy for him it fell again into the water. Not to be
thwarted, however, he again took his station upon another bough lower
down the stream; there he awaited the arrival of the object, again
repeated his former operation, and finally bore away the prize.'
Occasionally one will alight on the shoulder of a person sitting out
of door--, or on the back of a rustic seat, and sometimes venture to
take food from the hand. In winter Rubins will far from unfrequently
enter a room, and continue to come to it for a month or so, and one
has been known to enter a cottage daily, even in summer, to seek the
accustomed crumbs which he had been in the habit of finding there.
Numerous indeed are the notices of the fearless confidence of the
Redbreast—the natural cause of the favour with which in all countries
in Europe he is regarded.
These last instances are those of English occurrence; the following
ones narrated by the late William Thompson, Esq., of Belfast, in his
' N a t u r a l History of Ireland,' will shew that there the Robin is the
same as with u s : — ' I n the very mild winter of 1831-32, a Redbreast
very frequently made one at a breakfast table, helping itself to all
that it wanted. In summer it built in one of the outhouses, and
visited the kitchen daily, and in the autumn used to sing in the hall.
Another was in the habit of entering a. house, to feed; another even
to go into a lantern to eat the candle in it; and others to alight on
the hands of labourers, to eat therefrom. One wdiich was used to
visit the abode o! a tame Eagle at feeding time, flew on to his perch
as soon as he had left it for the ground, and then alighted on the
chain by winch he was fastened; another visited the same cottage for
four or five winters in succession, taking up its abode within doors
altogether, until the return of spring. One of a pair, when the days
were very line and bright in October, regularly frequented a stable,
and when perched upon the stall, sang without being in any degree
disturbed by the general business of the place going forward, even
within two or three feet of his station. A pair of Redbreasts that
were assiduously watched during their nidification in a conservatory,
were one morning found in great consternation, in consequence of
their nest having been taken possession of by a bat, which they
eventually compelled to change its quarters. A young Robin of the
year, caught in the autumn, and kept in a cage, made its escape, but
on the appearance of suow, returned, and was evidently at home with
the lady of the house and a servant who had been accustomed to feed
it, shewing more partiality to them than to the other inmates.'
The Robin is very easily captured in a trap, more so than almost
any other bird, but it only bears confinement at all well in the winter;
and if kept for its own sake in severe weather, should be released
when a change has come. v I t is always active and lively, and watchful
of all that passes. If a new bird is put into the cage or aviary it
inhabits, the Robin is the first that takes notice of it, and immediately
approaching, utters its note of surprise, bows repeatedly with its
peculiar dipping motion, erects its tail, and in various ways endeavours
to express its interest or surprise. Its attention is particularly directed
to young birds, either of its own or other species.'
The Might of this bird is usually rather quick and straight, mostly
performed near the ground, and for only a short distance—from one
neighbouring resting-place to another. It progresses by a few hops at
a time, when it suddenly halts, tosses up its head or looks askance,
and after a brief pause advances again.
The Robin feeds on various fruits, seeds, and berries, such as elderberries
and black-berries, as also on flies, beetles, and other insects,
earwigs and worms, the larger are frequently held in one claw, and
so picked: occasionally it will capture insects on the wing, sallying
out at them time after time, quite after the manner of a Flycatcher.
The hard parts of any are cast up, as is done by the Hawks. One
has been seen to attack the formidable stag beetle on the wing, when
both Jell together to the ground; what the result would have been
been was not ascertained, for the former flew away on the observer
coming up. In the winter this bird frequently visits the sea-shore,
searching among the sea-weed for small marine insects. In summer
he eats not a few currants and other small fruits, with which the
young are sometimes fed; but insects are his chief food. Its manner
of feeding is not an assiduous pecking about, but it hops on for a
few steps, and then halts, and then hops on again with a diligence
of observation to which we for the moment arc blind, though we
VOL. in. Q