Notes from Field and Study 119 Mr. Ash's pets have received consider- able attention from naturalists, and biog- raphies of some of them have frequently appeared in the local press ; but none other has been so much talked of and written about as the Newport Robin — a thoroughbred patrician bird from Belle, vue avenue. This male Robin was taken from the nest when scarcely feath- ered and placed in a cage which hung in the office of the market, and there he learned, from the musically inclined cus- tomers and from his master, such airs as 'Yankee Doodle,' 'Sweet By-and-By, 'Marching Through Georgia,' 'Over The Garden Wall,' 'Johnnie, Get Your Gun,' 'Here She Goes -There She Goes,' and many others, one of his acquirements being the campaign air: 'What's the matter with Harrison; He's all Right,' and all rendered in perfect tune and with a sweetness surpassing the finest flute or piccolo. At first Mr, Ash thought of his little prisoner simply as a companion during the extreme early hours at which the market had to be opened, and was sur- prised one day at hearing him whistling one of his own favorite airs. But after that he took a little more pains and spent his leisure moments in teaching the Robin different tunes, and, finding him an apt scholar, encouraged customers to whistle in his presence until he be- came the wonder of all who have ever heard him whistle He never gave the chirping whistle peculiar to the Robin, but continually repeated notes gathered from his admiring friends. He developed an aptness for mimicry quite equal to the best-bred Mockingbird, and a talent for sweet music which quite surpassed that of the latter. The home of this feathered wonder ■was a large, handsome wire cage, pre- sented him by his honor. Mayor Powtl. The Robin preferred this cage to free- dom, and seemed to love the society of man and to be perfectly contented. In In fact, he made his escape once and returned of his own free will after an absence of about an hour. Another time he left his cage and wandered from tho market and was picked up, com- pletely exhausted, by a Judge of the probate court, who took hitn back. Once he paid a visit to a favorite officer at the police station. But cmbonpoiiit de- veloped during the latter years of the decadeof his life, and rendered him so liable to accidents abroad that he was never allowed to leave the narrow confines of his home He received about the same treatment and food as a Mockingbird, but rejected all opportunities to bathe oftener than every other day and then insisted upon having his tub of fresh water. This bird was the pride of his owner, who refused tempting pecuniary induce- ments to part with him ; but all visitors to the Robin's cage were cordially wel- comed by Mr. Ash, who delighted in hav- ing his pet seen and heard, that all might comprehend his really wonderful talent. — E. A. Mearns, Ft. Adams, Nezi'- fort, K. J. A Yonkers Robin Two years ago this summer, at Yonkers, N. Y. , the ice-man carried into a kitchen an unfledged Robin picked up in the street. Kind-hearted Bridget fed and cared for the foundling, after trying in vain to restore it to the nest. It was placed in a large cage until old enough to enjoy the freedom of the house. Once a female Robin flew to the window-sill with a worm ; and when- ever the cage was put out-of-doors Robins visited it and talked to the little one One day five of its relatives lighted on the cage, as if meditating a coup d' elal. The bird would have been released in due time, but for a catastrophe. One luck- less night, the cage having been left out, a 'self-supporting cat' clawed poor Robin, wounding him desperately, and perma- nently injuring one wing. His life was saved, but the wound never healed, and whenever the bird is excited, drops of blood exude. Robin calls for his oatmeal each morn- ing, and will not be quiet until fed from the spoon of the master of the house. He
