122 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



whatever might be handy, and when the young ones 

 called out for food, answer by a sweet little plaintive 

 note, expressed as near as possible by the word 

 " Wheet, wheet," as much as to say "Wait a bit, 

 I'm coming, it's all right." To quote Howard 

 Saunders once more : " The food consists of flies, 

 gnats, small butterflies, and other insects, spiders, 

 etc., the young being largely fed on caterpillars. 

 This species is sometimes called the Firetail, the 

 second syllable being derived from the Anglo-Saxon 

 Steort — a tail. 



On the Continent the Redstart is found in 

 summer from the North Cape to the wooded regions 

 of Central and Southern Europe, its winter 

 migrations extending to North Africa, the Canaries 

 and Madeira, Senegal, Abysinnia, Arabia, Palestine, 

 and Persia. These little birds, when sittingf on a 

 branch, have a very peculiar habit of twitching the 

 tale, which vibrates as if caused by an electric 

 current down the back. 



The specimens were shot in Radnorshire. 



