178 BIKD8 OP ILLINOIS. 



Muscicapa (Sylvania) ruticilla NUTT. Man. i. 1832, 291. 



Setophaga ruticilla SW.-BAIED. B. N. Am. 1858, 297; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859. No. 217; Re- 

 view, 1865, 256. COUES, Key. 1872, 110; Check List, 1873, No. 104; 2d ed. 1882, No. 152; 

 B. N. W. 1874. 81, 232; B. Col. Val. 1878, 337. B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. i, 1874, 322, pi. 

 16, flgs. 1, 5. RIDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 128. 



HAS. Eastern North America, west regularly to and including the Rocky Mountains, 

 to the borders of the Great Basin, straggling to the Pacific coast; breeds throughout its 

 summer range, which extends from the Gulf States north to Ft. Simpson and Hudson's 

 Bay. Winters in West Indies, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, to 

 Ecuador. 



"Sp. CHAR. Male. Prevailing color black. A central line on the breast, the abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts white; some feathers in the latter strongly tinged with dark 

 brown. Bases of all the quills except the inner and outer, and basal half of all the tail- 

 feathers except the middle ones, a patch on each side of the breast, and the axillary re- 

 gion, orange-red, of a vermilion shade on the breast. Female with the black replaced by 

 olive-green above, by brownish white beneath, the red replaced by yellow; the head 

 tinged with ash; a grayish white lore and ring round the eye. Length, 5.25; wing, 2.50; 

 tail, 2.45. 



"The young male in early autumn greatly resembles in plumage 

 the adult female, but has the upper tail-coverts and tail deep black, 

 sharply contrasted with the olive of the rump, instead of having 

 the upper tail-coverts olive, the tail simply dusky; in addition the 

 back is more greenish olive, and the abdomen and crissum pure 

 white. The male does not obtain the perfect adult plumage until 

 about the third year." (Hist. N. Am. B.) 



Although so very abundant as to be, like the Red-eyed Vireo, 

 a nuisance to the collector who has to shoot his warblers at ran- 

 dom in the tall tree-tops, the Kedstart is by no means a well 

 known bird to the general observer. This arises from the fact that 

 it inhabits almost exclusively thick woodlands, where it usually 

 keeps well up in the trees. None of the numerous family of war- 

 blers are more active than the present species, which is continually 

 on the move, darting first this way, then that after insects, which 

 it snaps up in the air in the manner of a true flycatcher. At all 

 times the long, broad tail is spread out like a fan, showing, in the 

 female, a broad pale yellow band her only ornament and in the 

 male enhancing the striking appearance caused by his handsome 

 black and salmon-red livery. Its notes, particularly the song, bear 

 a rather close resemblance to those of the Summer Yellowbird, but 

 are weaker and less attractive. The nest is a compact, cup-shaped 

 structure, usually placed on a horizontal branch, but supported by 

 upright twigs, at heights varying from eight or ten to fifty feet 

 from the ground. Its material consists of vegetable fibres, etc., 

 closely interwoven, and lined with softer materials. The eggs are 

 usually four in number, and very similar in color and markings to 

 those of the Summer Yellowbird. 



