RED-WINGED STARLING. 37 



last week in April, or first in May, begin to construct their 

 nest. The place chosen for this is generally within the pre- 

 cincts of a marsh or swamp, meadow or other like watery 

 situation. The spot usually a thicket of alder bushes, at the 

 height of six or seven feet from the ground; sometimes in a 

 detached bush in a meadow of high grass; often in a tussock of 

 rushes or coarse rank grass; and not unfrequently in the ground. 

 In all of which situations I have repeatedly found them. When 

 in a bush they are generally composed outwardly of wet rushes 

 picked from the swamp, and long tough grass in large quantity, 

 and well lined with very fine bent. The rushes, forming the 

 exterior, are generally extended to several of the adjoining 

 twigs, round which they are repeatedly and securely twisted; a 

 precaution absolutely neccessary for its preservation, on account 

 of the flexible nature of the bushes in which it is placed. The 

 same caution is observed when a tussock is chosen, by fastening 

 the tops together, and intertwining the materials of which the 

 nest is formed with the stalks of rushes around. When placed in 

 the ground, less care and fewer materials being neccessary, the 

 nest is much simpler and slighter than before. The female lays 

 five eggs, of a very pale light blue, marked with faint tinges of 

 light purple and long straggling lines and dashes of black. It is 

 not uncommon to find several nests in the same thicket, within 

 a few feet of each other. 



During the time the female is sitting, and still more particu- 

 larly after the young are hatched, the male, like most other 

 birds that build in low situations, exhibits the most violent 

 symptoms of apprehension and alarm on the approach of any 

 person to its near neighbourhood. Like the Lap wing of Europe 

 he flies to meet the intruder, hovers at a short height over head, 

 uttering loud notes of distress; and while in this situation displays 

 to great advantage the rich glowing scarlet of his wings, height- 

 ened by the jetty black of his general plumage. As the danger 

 increases, his cries become more shrill and incessant, and his 

 motions rapid and restless; the whole meadow is alarmed, and 

 a collected crowd of his fellows hover around, and mingle their 

 notes of alarm and agitation with his. When the young are 



