BRILLIANTS IN PLUMES. 141 



breast, wings and tail. What a picture he makes 

 as he dashes in and out amid the foliage, the 

 orange-red adornments scintillating in the sun ! 

 No warbler is more dexterous on the wing than 

 this little gymnast, who has some of the qualities 

 of the flycatchers. Now he plunges in among the 

 thick branches and leaves after a worm, and the 

 next instant darts out like a flash and catches a 

 gnat or fly in mid-air, with more skill and grace- 

 fulness than a bee martin or a wood pewee. 



He chooses for his habitat thick woodlands, 

 where he sings, when in the lyrical mood, from 

 morning till night. His vocal effort consists of an 

 explosive little trill, not very melodious, but quite 

 cheerful, which maybe represented by the syllables : 

 Tswee-a^ tswee-a^ Utve-tswe-tswe-tswe-tswe I Some- 

 times, as he dashes about recklessly and at a break- 

 neck speed amongst the trees, he snaps viciously 

 with his mandibles. I am of the opinion that this 

 occurs, at least in most instances, when he is in 

 pursuit of his rival, who has been trying to steal 

 the affections of his lady love. 



And I don't blame him for becoming jealous ; 

 Miss Redstart is a charming little creature, almost as 

 handsome as her lover. Her colors are more 

 modest, the lustrous black becoming grayish-olive, 



