372 THE REDSTART. 



the edge." This instance is quite representative of the usual 

 manner of the nesting of this species. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, the nest would seem to be less bulky. It is always 

 well concealed among rubbish, fallen trees, and ferns. The 

 eggs are some .68X-51, and have been found in this State 

 as late as the 17th of July. 



Five inches long, the male of this species has the upper 

 parts of a fine olive-green; head, a fine slate-color; throat 

 and breast, black, crossed by delicate concentric lines of 

 slate, caused by a fine fringe of that color on the tips of the 

 feathers, making the dark spot look something like black 

 crape, whence the common name ; the under parts, bright 

 yellow; the female is similar, with the dark patch on the 

 breast almost obliterated.* 



Wintering in the farthest part of Central America, and 

 even in South America, this bird goes north, in the migra- 

 tions, to the British Provinces, becoming rare, however, in 

 Nova Scotia. It breeds in New York, New England and 

 northward, arriving in Western New York about the middle 

 of May. 



THE REDSTART. 



A few rods off, in a thicker part of the woods, I hear a 

 bird-song, which at this time of year greets me through- 

 out every forest. It is the song of the Redstart (Sftcfhaga 

 ruticilla); and, except that it resembles that of the Yellow 

 Warbler, I can compare it to no sound so well as to that of 

 a circular tin-whistle with a hole through the center, which, 

 when held between the lips and teeth and the breath is al- 

 ternately drawn in and blown out, makes a noise with which 

 every one is familiar. Simple as is this comparison, to my 

 ear the song is decidedly pleasing. There is not a little 



* The female of one pair of these birds, taken along with the nest by Mr. Bruce, has 

 the wkit,- ,-v,'-//t/x, supposed to differentiate Macgillivray's Warbler of the Rocky Mount- 

 ains and the Pacific Coast as a species, thus suggesting the propriety of regarding the 

 latter as a mere variety of the former. 



