107 
incubation. She is even believed to sing a little on her own account, not 
because her mate does not sing enough for two, but because she—vwell, for 
the same reason that a woman whistles,—and good luck to her! 
During the mating season great rivalries spring up, and males will chase 
each other about in most bewildering mazes, like a pair of great fire-flies, 
and with no better weapons—fighting fire with fire. When the nesting site 
is chosen the male is very jealous of intruders, and bustles up in a threatening 
fashion, which quite overawes most birds of guileless intent. 
Redstart’s song is sometimes little better than an emphatescent squeak. 
At other times bis emotion fades after the utterance of two or three notes, 
Taken near 
Photo by 
Danville. J 
J. B. Parker. 
A FAIRY BONBON. 
PAPA REDSTART IS PRESENTING HIS BABY WITH A CADDIS-FLY. 
and the last one dies out. A more pretentious effort is represented by Mr. 
Chapman as “ching, ching, chee; ser-wee, swee, swee-c-e-c.” Because of the 
bird’s abundance many variations are noted, and, indeed, the Redstart’s song 
is often quite puzzling, especially if it proceeds from a colorless young strip- 
ling of one summer. 
One knows exactly where to look for the Redstart’s nest, but for all that 
it is not easy to see a “knot” in the fork of a young sapling, matched to a 
nicety with the surrounding bark, and oftenest hidden by a leaf or two—not 
many, but just enough. ‘The fabric is a model of daintiness and close weav- 
ing. Strips of the inner bark of common milkweed or shredded grape-vine 
