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Show HOW DOES THE ROBIN KNOW? When Mrs. Redbreast Goes After a Grub She Always Gets Him. I recently observed a robin boring for grubs In a country dooryard. It Is a common enough sight to witness ono solzo an anglo woim nnd drag it from Its burrow In tho turf, but I am not sure that I over saw ono drill for grubs nnd bring tho big whlto morsel mor-sel to tho smtneo. Tho robin I nm speaking of had n neat of young In a maple nonr by, and sho worked tho neighborhood very lulustrlouslj for food. Sho would run along over tho shoit grass after tho manner of robins, stopping ovory fow foot, her form stiff and eroct. Now ami thou sho would suddenly bond hor hend toward tho ground and bring ojo or oar lor n moment to boar intoutly upon It. Then Bho would spring to boring tho turf vigorously with her bill, changing her attltudo at each stroke, nlort and watchful, throwing throw-ing up tho grass roots and llttlo Jets of soil, tabbing deeper and tlcoper, growing ovory moment moro and moro oxcltod, till finally a fat grub is seized and brought forth. Timo aftor tlmo, during several days, I saw her mine for grubs In this way and drag them forth. How did sho know whoro to drill Tho insect was In every caso an Inch below tuo surface. Did sho hear it gnawing Jio roots of tho grasses, or did sho bco a movoment In tho turf boneath which tho grub was at work I know not. I only know that sho struck hor gamo unerringly each tlmo. Only twlco did I seo her make a fow thniBts and then desist, as If sho had boon deceived. John Burroughs In Outing. |