THE AMERICAN REDSTART. 85 
they are easily learned, and not likely to be forgotten after they have 
been heard a few times; and indeed one may listen to them without the 
slightest difficulty, so incessantly are they uttered during the breeding 
season. Theactions I have endeavored to portray are invariably ac- 
companied by these queer sounds in the intervals between the side-raids 
after flying insects. They are rather feeble notes to come from so 
sprightly and energetic a performer, though delivered with much 
animation and endless repetition. Wilson rendered their ordinary song 
by the syllables weése, weése, weése, and alludes to several variations of 
this twitter his ear had learned to distinguish. ‘‘‘ Many of these tones,”’ 
says Nuttall, ‘As they are mere trills of harmony cannot be recalled 
by any words. Their song on their first arrival is however nearly 
uniform, and greatly resembles the ’¢sh ’¢sh ¢shee, tshe, tshe tshea, or ’tsh 
‘tsh ’tsh 'tshitshee of the Summer Yellow-bird (Sy/vza e@stiva), uttered 
in a piercing and rather slender tone; now and then also agreeably 
varied with a somewhat plaintive flowing ’¢shé ’¢shé '¢tsché, or a more 
agreeable '¢shzt'¢shzt a'tshee, given almost in the tones of the Common 
Yellow-bird (/rzngzlla trestzs). I have likewise heard individuals warble 
out a variety of sweet, and tender, trilling, rather loud and shrill notes, 
so superior to the ordinary lay of incubation, that the performer would 
scarcely be supposed the same bird. On some occasions the male also, 
when angry or alarmed, utters a loud and snapping chirp.”’ It is 
probably to such notes as these last that Wilson alludes in rendering 
the sounds by svc, sc, sazc. Audubon attempts to indicate the sounds in 
a still different way. I quote the whole paragraph, which gives a 
pleasing glimpse of the bird again. ‘‘ It keepsin perpetual motion,”’ 
he says, ‘‘‘ hunting along the branches sidewise, jumping to either side 
in search of insects and larve, opening its beautiful tail at every movement 
