i62 JUNGLE FOLK 



The Indian redstart is a sexually dimorphic species, 

 that is to say the cock differs from the hen in appear- 

 ance ; the former, moreover, is seasonally dimorphic. 

 The feathers of his head, neck, breast, and back are 

 black with grey fringes. In the autumn and early 

 winter the grey edges completely obliterate the black 

 parts, so that the bird looks grey. But during the 

 winter the grey edges gradually become worn away, 

 and the black portions then show, so that by the middle 

 of the summer the cock redstart is a black bird. Thus 

 he remains until transformed by the autumnal moult. 

 His under parts are deep orange, and his lower back 

 and all the tail feathers, except the middle pair, are 

 brick-red. Now, when the tail is unexpanded the two 

 middle caudal feathers are folded over the others, and 

 hide them from view, and, as the lower back is 

 covered by the wings, the red parts are not visible 

 when the bird walks about looking for food ; but the 

 moment it takes to its wings all the red feathers become 

 displayed, so that the bird, as it flies away, looks as 

 though its plumage were almost entirely red. Hence 

 the name redstart — ** start " being an old English word 

 for tail. Another popular name for the bird is firetail. 



Two species of redstart visit England, and these 

 also are characterised by reddish tails. The hen 

 Indian redstart is reddish brown where the cock is 

 grey or black, and red where he is red. The gradual 

 change in colour undergone by the cock redstart 

 every year is instructive, because it seems to show that 

 the bird is even now undergoing evolution. I think it 

 likely that the feathers of the cock were at one time 



