“Cheer up, be merry,
I’ve found a cherry;
’Tis a glorious time of the year!”
—Garrett Newkirk, in Bird-Lore.
ROBIN
“Our Robin is a big-bodied Thrush, whereas the Robin-redbreast, the Cock Robin of story, is more nearly akin in size and build to our Bluebird. If you want to see the family marks that yoke the Robin to his Thrush cousin, look carefully at the youngsters as they are leaving the nest, and you will see that instead of wearing plain brick-coloured breasts like the parents, they are striped like the Thrushes; this marking disappears after their first moult. As for Robin himself, you know him well, but can any of you tell exactly the colour of his clothing?”
Sarah and Tommy raised their hands at the same time, but as ladies come first, Sarah began: “He is gray on top, and red underneath, and he’s got white spots outside of his wings.”
“Very good, indeed,” said Gray Lady; “but can you add anything to that, Tommy?”
“Yes, ma’am; he’s black on top of his head, and he’s got a white chin and eye spot and a yellow beak.”