WHITE-FRONTED REDSTART. 309 



the Lothians, for instance, one scarcely meets with a pair in 

 the course of a ramble of fifteen or twenty miles, although in 

 gardens it may be the subject of everyday observation, and is 

 not difficult to be procured by those who know the places fre- 

 quented by it. Sometimes it takes up its residence in rocky 

 or stony places, like those selected by the Stonechat. When 

 its young come abroad, it seems to prefer the hedges, thickets, 

 and woods. The period of its departure varies from the mid- 

 dle of September to near the end of October. 



The nest is generally placed in a hole or cavity in a w^all, or 

 among stones, or in the chink of a rock, but sometimes in the 

 hole of a tree. One found in the first of these situations is 

 rather bulky, having an external diameter of four inches and a 

 half, its internal being three inches, and its depth an inch and 

 a half. It is composed of fibrous roots and moss, and is plenti- 

 fully lined with hair of various animals, and a few small fea- 

 thers. The eggs are generally six or seven, of a light greenish- 

 blue colour, and scarcely distinguishable from those of the 

 Hedge Chanter, being of the same form, but considerably 

 smaller, their average length nine-twelfths of an inch, their 

 breadth six-twelfths. I have known of its building in the 

 thatched roof of a house, but the place usually chosen is the 

 hole of a wall, so that, considering also its habits, I think the 

 name of Tree Redstart, applied to it by some writers, is less ap- 

 propriate than that of Wall Redstart. 



As to the motion of the tail in this bird, which has supplied 

 some observers with a subject of dispute, I am convinced that 

 it is vertical, that is, up and down, and not alternately to either 

 side, although at each jerk the feathers are a little spread out, 

 as is the case with those of many other birds of this order, as 

 the Stonechat and Bushchat. It is sa-id to imitate the notes 

 of other species. " In confinement," says Mr Sweet, " it will 

 sing by night as well as by day, if a light be kept in the room 

 where it is; if brought up from the nest, it may be learned 

 (taught) to sing any tune that is whistled or sung to it. One 

 that I was in possession of some years back, learned to sing 

 the Copenhagen Waltz, that it had frequently heard sung, 

 only it would sometimes stop in the middle of it, and say 



