REDSTART AND ROOK 89 



REDSTART (Ruticilla fthcenicurus) 



Local Names. — Bran-Tail, Fire-Flirt, Fiery Bran-Tail, Fire-Tail, Red- 

 fiery Bram-Tail, Red-Tail, Whitecap, White- Fronted Redstart. 



Haunt. — Woods, parks, orchards, and large gardens. 



Nesting Period. — May to July. 



Site of Nest. — A hole or crevice in a tree or wall, in old sheds, etc. 



Materials Used. — Roots, moss, dry grass, lined with feathers and hair. 



Eggs. — Five or Six, but I have found Seven. Pale uniform bluish- 

 green; pointed at one end. 



Food. — Grasshoppers, larvae, beetles, butterflies, gnats, and spiders. 



Voice. — Call, a plaintive " weet," and a sharp " wee-tit-tit." A 

 low, soft, and sweet song is also uttered. 



Chief Features. — A shy species, and is doubtless often overlooked. 

 Male can at once be distinguished by flame-coloured tail- 

 feathers. It is a Summer Migrant, arriving about mid- April 

 from Northern Africa. 



Plumage. — The male has a white forehead; bluish-grey head and 

 upper part of back; black throat; bright bay on breast, tail- 

 coverts, and tail, but the two middle feathers are brown. The 

 female is grey above, with a conspicuous tinge of red ; inclining 

 to whitish on throat and belly; pale red on breast, flanks, and 

 under tail-coverts. Length. — Five and a quarter inches. 



ROOK (Corvus frugilegus) 



Local Names. — Bare-Faced Crow, White-Faced Crow. 



Haunt. — Woods, plantations, fields, and the seashore. 



Nesting Period. — March to May. 



Site of Nest. — Tall trees as a rule, but sometimes in high bushes. 



Materials Used. — Sticks and twigs, 



plastered with mud and clay, and 



lined with grass, straw, wool, etc. 



The old nest is repaired each year. 

 Eggs. — Four or Five. Greenish, blotched 



and mottled with brownish-green. 



The variety and intensity of the 



markings vary. 

 Food. — Grubs of various kinds, including 



the destructive wireworm and larva 



of cockchafer, also earthworms and Fig. 33. Head of Rook. 



birds' eggs. 

 Voice. — The well-known " caw," but other sounds are emitted which 



remind one sometimes of the Moorhen. 

 Chief Features. — Nests mostly in colonies, called Rookeries. Adult 



