He goes to housekeeping in the old apple-
tree, or, what he likes better, the cherry-tree. A pair reared
their domestic altar (of mud and dry grass) in one of the latter
trees, where I saw much of them. The cock took it upon himself to
keep the tree free of all other robins during cherry time, and its
branches were the scene of some lively tussles every hour in the
day. The innocent visitor would scarcely alight before the jealous
cock was upon him; but while he was thrusting the intruder out at
one side, a second would be coming in on the other. He managed,
however, to protect his cherries very well, but had so little time
to eat the fruit himself that we got fully our share.
I have frequently seen the robin courting, and have always been
astonished and amused at the utter coldness and indifference of the
female. The females of every species of bird, however, I believe,
have this in common,--they are absolutely free from coquetry, or
any airs and wiles whatever. In most cases, Nature has given the
song and the plumage to the other sex, and all the embellishing and
acting is done by the male bird.
I am always at home when I see the passenger pigeon. Few spectacles
please me more than to see clouds of these birds sweeping across
the sky, and few sounds are more agreeable to my ear than their
lively piping and calling in the spring woods. They come in such
multitudes, they people the whole air; they cover townships, and
make the solitary places gay as with a festival.
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