REDSTART FLYCATCHER. 165 



small angle, and the fore parts of its body depressed, 

 it had much of the aspect of a Wagtail. It ran with 

 great swiftness hither and thither, a few feet at a 

 time, and during each run, the wings were opened 

 and vibrated in a peculiar flutter with great rapidity. 

 It was, I am sure, taking small insects, as now and 

 then it turned short. Sometimes, instead of run- 

 ning, it took a short flight, but still close to the turf. 



One which was wounded in the wing, I put 

 into a cage ; on the floor of which it sat, looking 

 wildly upwards, the beautiful tail being expanded 

 like a fan, so as so display the orange-colour on 

 each side. All the while it chirped pertinaciously, 

 producing the sharp sound of two quartz pebbles 

 struck together. 



This was the very first of the migrant visitors 

 from the North that I met with, a female having been 

 killed in the mountains of St. Elizabeth as early as 

 the 10th of August. We lost sight of it again 

 about the 20th of April ; so that this species 

 remains in the islands upwards of eight months. 

 Yet nearly four weeks before this, I observed a pair 

 engaged in amatory toying, pursuing each other to 

 and fro among the pimento trees. 



On the 8th of May, 1838, being at sea in the 

 Gulf of Mexico, not far from the Dry Tortugas, 

 a young male of this lovely species flew on board. 

 It would fly from side to side, and from rope to 

 rope, as if unwilling to leave the vessel, but oc- 

 casionally it would stretch off" to a long distance, 

 then turn round, and fly straight back again ; it 

 was not at all exhausted. While I held it, it 

 squeaked and bit at my hand violently and fiercely. 



