r.R TIIE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. 



relatives, the Bluebreast, the Redstart, anJ the Blaclcstart, are in 

 another genus called Ruticilla; but they all, as we said before, 

 belong to the same Sylvine family, and if not exactly brothers and 

 sisters, they are uncles and aunts, and cousins. 



Mostly slender as well as soft-billed birds, small of size, with but 

 little variation in the colours of their plumage, the most conspicuous 

 in this respect being Master Robinet, with his scarlet breast; this 

 insufferable little coxcomb, and yet dear, delightful, winter visitant, 

 that we would not be without for the world. Miss Bluebreast, too, 

 has a prettily variegated attire, and the dash or flush here and there 

 of orange in the dress of the Redstart, lights up the grey tints 

 wonderfully; and the Blackstart's fiery tail, gives him certainly a 

 distinguished appearance. But then, they are all beautiful, the 

 plainest birds cannot help being that, and better is the sweet song 

 of our native birds, than all the gorgeous plumage with winch God 

 has seen fit to deck mimy of the screamers and chatterers of foreign 

 clinics. 



