burrow in the turf, but I am not sure that I ever before
saw one drill for grubs and bring the big white morsel to the surface.
The robin I am speaking of had a nest of young in a maple near by,
and she worked the neighborhood very industriously for food. She would
run along over the short grass after the manner of robins, stopping
every few feet, her form stiff and erect. Now and then she would
suddenly bend her head toward the ground and bring eye or ear for a
moment to bear intently upon it. Then she would spring to boring the
turf vigorously with her bill, changing her attitude at each stroke,
alert and watchful, throwing up the grass roots and little jets of
soil, stabbing deeper and deeper, growing every moment more and more
excited, till finally a fat grub was seized and brought forth. Time
after time, during several days, I saw her mine for grubs in this way
and drag them forth. How did she know where to drill? The insect was
in every case an inch below the surface. Did she hear it gnawing the
roots of the grasses, or did she see a movement in the turf beneath
which the grub was at work? I know not. I only know that she struck
her game unerringly each time. Only twice did I see her make a few
thrusts and then desist, as if she had been for the moment deceived.

How pugnacious the robin is! With what spunk and spirit he defends
himself against his enemies! Every spring I see the robins mobbing the
blue jays that go sneaking through the trees looking for eggs. The
crow blackbirds nest in my evergreens, and there is perpetual war
between them and the robins. The blackbirds devour the robins' eggs,
and the robins never cease to utter their protest, often backing it up
with blows. I saw two robins attack a young blackbird in the air, and
they tweaked out his feathers at a lively rate.

One spring a pack of robins killed a cuckoo near me that they found
robbing a nest. I did not witness the killing, but I have
cross-questioned a number of people who did see it, and I am convinced
of the fact. They set upon him when he was on the robin's nest, and
left him so bruised and helpless beneath it that he soon died. It was
the first intimation I had ever had that the cuckoo devoured the eggs
of other birds.

Two other well-authenticated cases have come to my knowledge of robins
killing cuckoos (the black-billed) in May. The robin knows its
enemies, and it is quite certain, I think, that the cuckoo is one of
them.

What a