WHITE-FRONTED REDSTART. 307 



of the throat and the red of the other parts. The wings and 

 tail are then lighter. 



Habits. — The Wheatear and the Redstart present a con- 

 siderable mutual resemblance in form, colour, and habits. The 

 first time when I took particular notice of the actions of the 

 latter bird, was on the 26th July, 1835, when, observing a 

 male at Swanston, a village about four miles from Edinburgh, 

 at the base of one of the Pentland Hills, I watched it for some 

 time. It took its station on one of the top-stones of a rude 

 wall, where it kept in almost constant motion, and at intervals 

 uttered its two notes, which I fancied to resemble the syllables 

 oi-chit, the first long and plaintive, the other short and simi- 

 lar to that of the Bushchats. Sometimes two of these short 

 notes were emitted. Observing me it evinced much restless 

 anxiety, but flitted now and then from the wall, caught an 

 insect on wing, returned, and watched me, moving its body, 

 and vibrating its tail several times with rapidity at each start 

 or movement, and uttering its cry of alarm. At length, hav- 

 ing by several little excursions caught a number of insects on 

 wing, and finding that I was not disposed to depart, it flew 

 into a whin bush at hand, where I saw it deliver the insects 

 to a bird, which, on going up, I found to be a young one 

 perched on a lower twig. It was fully fledged, and flew off 

 to a distance. No cry was emitted all this time by the young 

 bird, which seemed instinctively, or rather from being apprised 

 of danger by its parent, to keep as much concealed as possible. 



In June 1837, I watched for some time another male, which 

 had taken its station on a garden wall, at Newington, and ob- 

 served that in its motions and mode of flight it greatly resem- 

 bled the Grey Flycatcher. It not only caught insects by 

 sallying after them on wing, but made excursions into the 

 neighbouring bushes, and repeatedly descended to a green, 

 where it remained only a few moments to pick up something, 

 vnthout hopping about, and flew back to the wall. 



But the Redstart, although very partial to walls, whether 

 bare or ivied, rough or plastered, of stone or brick or even turf, 

 also frequents trees and bushes, especially those in lanes and 



