BBITISH SONG B1EDS. 



297 



and rather difficult to distinguish from 

 those of the hedge-sparrow. It often 

 sings as it flies, and is constantly 

 changing its position; and, although 

 the notes are not very loud, they are 

 remarkably sweet. Gilbert White 

 says, it will sit on the top of a tall 

 tree, and sing from morning to night ; 

 it avoids solitudes, and loves to build 

 in orchards and about houses. It is, 

 like most warblers, a migrating bird, 

 and visits England at the latter end 

 of March, or the beginning of April, and disappears about the last week 

 in September. Its plumage, as before remarked, is very pretty, for its- 

 cheeks, throat, fore- part, and sides of the neck, to just above the eyes, 

 are black ; the crown of its head, hinder part of the neck, and back, 

 deep blue grey; breast, rump, and sides of a fine glowing red, inclining 

 to orange, and this colour extends to all the tail feathers, excepting 

 the middle ones, which are brown, and the wing coverts ; its belly is 

 white, and so is its forehead ; its bill, eyes, feet, and claws are black. 

 The female differs considerably from the male, as her colours are not 

 so vivid, the top of her head and back being of a grey ash colour, 

 and throat white. The young ones, if it is wished to rear them from 

 the nest, to tutor them to warble airs, or in order that they may 

 improve their own native strains by imitating the songs of other 

 birds, should be taken when the tail feathers begin to grow, and fed 

 upon ants' eggs and bread soaked in water. When wild, redstarts 

 feed upon insects and berries ; and when in captivity they must 

 always be supplied with insects ; they are particularly partial to ants' 

 eggs, meal worms, and common maggotn, and in general such food 

 as is given to nightingales will be found best suited to them. 



THE REDBREAST. 



Robin Redbreast is a beautiful bird, 

 remains with us all the year round, 

 hail, rain, frost, or snow, is as great a 

 favourite with the old grandsire of 

 threescore and ten as he is with the < 

 little thing that can just toddle, and ' 

 who stumbles and drops the pinch of 

 salt which it believes would capture 

 Robin if only dropped on his tail. 

 For our part we do not like to see him 

 a prisoner in a cage; he comes so near 

 to our homes that we can hear his song almost at any time if there is 

 only a morsel of garden ground big enough for him to alight within, 

 and it is like breaking faith in the trust he has in man to make him 

 captive. It is different with those that were taken when young, 

 they do not so much miss their freedom ; and those that were hatched 

 in spring will sing in autumn although they have but just moulted, 



