THE PERCHING BIRDs. 61 
Redstart, that comes early in spring and stays until 
frost, and is everywhere abundant. Although a bird 
of the trees, it is not necessarily a shy bird and seen 
only away from dwellings. I have often seen scores 
of them in the village street. The following from 
Wilson will enable one to recognize this black and 
red-orange bird: 
“This species has the constant habit of flirting its expanded tail 
from side to side as it runs along the branches, with its head levelled 
almost in a line with its body; occasionally shooting off after winged 
insects, in a downward zigzag direction, and with admirable dexterity, 
snapping its bill as it descends. Its notes are few and feeble, re- 
peated at short intervals as it darts among the foliage; having at 
some times a resemblance to the sounds sve-stc-saic, at others of 
weesy-weesy-weesy ; which last seems to be its call for the female, 
while the former appears to be its most common note.” 
All the nests of redstarts that I have found have 
been built in bushes overhanging the water. They 
are elaborate structures, and not concealed in any 
way; and to overcome this objection, the location 
mentioned may have been selected. This expe- 
rience of mine in nest-hunting does not agree with 
Nuttall’s description of the chosen spots, but he may 
have made his observations in a far-distant region. 
Certainly, to-day, the redstart has no objection even 
to village streets if there are trees in abundance, and 
I have frequently seen them in the open “ squares” of 
Philadelphia. 
The song is a pleasing ¢see-tsee-tseet, with some 
variations, and appears to be uttered at the rate of 
twelve times a minute. At least this was accom- 
plished by one individual that I watched for seven © 
6 
