100 THE BLUE -THROATED REDSTART. 



avoid as long as possible the running of that carriage. At length, 

 when it could no longer be dispensed with, the carriage was attached 

 to a train, and sent to Frankfort-on-the-Maine, distant between 

 thirty and forty English miles. At Frankfort it remained six-and- 

 thirty hours, and was then brought back to Giessen ; from whence 

 it went to Lollar, distant four or five English miles, and subse- 

 quently again came back to Giessen, having been kept a while at 

 Lollar; so that four days and three nights elapsed between the 

 bringing of the carriage into use, and its last return to Giessen. 

 Stephani now finding the nest not to have been abandoned by the 

 parent birds, and to contain young ones, which he described as 

 feathered, he removed it from the carriage to a secure place of rest 

 which he had prepared, saw the parent bird visit it, and visited it 

 from time to time himself, until at first three, and then the other 

 two young birds had flown ; none remaining at the end of four or 

 five days. Now, while the carriage was travelling, where were the 

 parent birds ? It will hardly be said that they remained at Giessen 

 awaiting its return, having to examine by night as well as by day 

 hundreds of passing carriages in order to recognise it ; the young 

 birds in their nest quietly awaiting food (!). There seems little 

 doubt that, adhering to the nest, one, at least, of the parent birds 

 travelled with the train. Nor, when it is remembered how gently 

 and how slowly an enormous railway carriage is pushed into connec- 

 tion with a train how gradually a train is brought into full speed, 

 and how equable the movements are upon a railway will it appear 

 incredible that at such a time a parent bird should continue with its 

 nest, that nest being quite concealed, and containing young. Not 

 until after the above was written did the author of this communica- 

 tion become acquainted with the important fact, that while the 

 carriage in question was at Frankfort, as well as during its short 

 stay at Friedeberg, on the way to Frankfort, the conductor of the 

 train saw a red-tailed bird constantly flying from and to the part 

 where the nest was situated in that particular carriage. Is further 

 evidence required that a parent bird did indeed travel with the 

 train ? 



THE BLUE-THROATED EEDSTART (Ruticilla cyanecula). 

 This bird is frequently called the Blue-throated Warbler ; 

 its claim to admission into the British fauna rests upon 

 three or four specimens taken in different parts of the 

 country, a pair having been shot near the Eeculvers, in Kent, 

 on the 29th September, 1842 ; they are now in the Mar- 

 gate Museum. In general conformation, the bird nearly 

 resembles the previous species ; it is about the same size, 

 but rather more slender in make. The prevailing colour 

 of the plumage is wood brown, with dusky markings ; to- 



