REDSTART. 331 



of the Hedge- Sparrow, and sometimes with a few faint red- 

 dish specks. They measure from '75 to "62 by from '56 to 

 •51 in. Two broods are often produced in the season, the 

 young of the first being fledged by the second week in June. 



The Kedstart is naturally shy and timid ; but during the 

 time the female is sitting, the male exposes himself con- 

 stantly, and may almost always be seen in some conspicuous 

 situation, not far from the nest. At this season he sings 

 early and late ; having been heard after ten o'clock at nigiit 

 and at three on the following morning. 



The Eedstart breeds regularly in all the counties of Eng- 

 land and Wales, though a very rare bird to the westward of 

 Exeter. In Scotland it is found in summer as far as Caith- 

 ness, but it does not occur in the Hebrides, and only occa- 

 sionally in Shetland, and everywhere seems to be less nume- 

 rous than in South Britain. In Ireland it is also rare, and 

 Thompson appears to have never seen but one specimen 

 (killed near Kingstown in 1830) which had been obtained in 

 that country, or heard of but four others. 



In a northern direction, it breeds throughout Scandinavia 

 nearly as far as the North Cape, and in Finland it is con- 

 sidered by Magnus von Wright to be one of the commonest 

 of all Warblers. Herr Meves noticed it at Archangel, but 

 further in North-eastern Russia its range cannot be traced, 

 from its having been confounded with other species. It is 

 said to be very common in the woods of the Caucasus, and 

 to breed in Persia. It has been recorded from India, but 

 apparently the species there is distinct. Specimens have 

 been received from Erzeroum and Trebizond. In Palestine 

 it is strictly a summer-visitant. It arrives in Egypt pretty 

 early in autumn, and goes to Abyssinia and the White Nile, 

 whence it returns in spring, and at that season Mr. Cham- 

 bers-Hodgetts shot it in Tripoli. It occurs in Algeria, but 

 seems not to be plentiful there, though said to be common 

 at Tangiers. M. Berthelot and Dr. Bolle obtained it in the 

 Canaries. It is found in Spain, but is not recorded from 

 Portugal. In the rest of Europe it is sufficiently abundant. 



In the adult male Redstart during summer the bill is 



