310 RUTICILLA PH(ENICURUS. 



chipput, a name by which it was generally called, and which it 

 would always repeat every time I entered the room where it 

 was, either by night or day." 



Mr Weir has favoured me with the following notice respect- 

 ing this species. " In this neighbourhood (Bathgate, Linlith- 

 gowshire) it appears a'bout the end of April or beginning of 

 May. A short time after their arrival, they make choice of 

 their partners, and look out for situations where they intend to 

 build their nests, which they place in old walls, and in clefts 

 of the rocks. Although they are very shy birds, yet they some- 

 times nestle in places that are much frequented. About a mile 

 from Bathgate, there are three cottages belonging to the Earl 

 of Hopetoun, within a few yards of the public road, where, at 

 the extremity of a hole in the gable of one of them, about the 

 middle of ^May 1885, a pair of Redstarts took up their residence, 

 and reared their young. And, what is very astonishing, a pair 

 built last summer (1837) in the same situation, although a 

 weaver had taken possession of the house, and had, from five 

 ©"■clock in the morning until ten at night, three looms in con- 

 tinual operation, within twelve feet of the nest, which was in 

 the inside of the garret, and only a few open planks placed be- 

 tween them. At the bottom of the air-pipe of the stables of 

 Mr Gillon of Wallhouse, for four successive years, a pair of 

 them built their nest. About the beginning of June 1835 I 

 caught them in a trap cage, and neither last year nor this have 

 any made their appearance. From the annual continuance of 

 a nest in the same spot, it is highly probable that one, if not 

 both, of the birds had traversed the whole of the south of Eu- 

 rope, and perhaps part of Africa, exposed to innumerable dan- 

 gers and occasional want of food. I have heard the male sing 

 some very sweet and plaintive notes, but so low that he could 

 not be heard at any great distance." 



Young. — The young have the upper parts brownish-grey, 

 the forehead without white, the throat lunulated with white, 

 the red of the fore-neck and breast similarly variegated. 



