

282 AMERICAN REDSTART. 



with wood, and wherever flying insects abound, there this lit- 

 tle bird is sure to be seen. It makes its appearance in Pennsyl- 

 vania, from the south, late in April; and leaves us again about 

 the beginning of September. It is very generally found over 

 the whole United States; and has been taken at sea, in the fall, 

 on its way to St. Domingo,* and other of the West India islands, 

 where it winters, along with many more of our summer vis- 

 itants. It is also found in Jamaica, where it remains all winter.! 

 The name Redstart, evidently derived from the German Roth- 

 sterts (red tail), has been given this bird from its supposed re- 

 semblance to the Redstart of Europe ( Motadlla phoenicurus}; 

 but besides being decisively of a different genus, it is very dif- 

 ferent both in size and in the tints and disposition of the colours 

 of its plumage. Buffon goes even so far as to question whether 

 the differences between the two be more than what might be 

 naturally expected from change of climate. This eternal refer- 

 ence of every animal of the new world to that of the old, if 

 adopted to the extent of this writer, with all the transmutations 

 it is supposed to have produced, would leave us in doubt wheth- 

 er even the Ka-te-dids\\ of America were not originally Nightin- 

 gales of the old world, degenerated by the inferiority of the food 

 and climate of this upstart continent. We have in America many 

 different species of birds that approach so near in resemblance 

 to one another, as not to be distinguished but by the eye of a 

 naturalist, and on a close comparison; these live in the same 

 climate, feed on the same food, and are, I doubt not, the same 

 now as they were five thousand years ago; and ten thousand years 

 hence, if the species then exist, will be found marked with the 

 same nice discriminations as at present. Is it therefore surpris- 

 ing,, that two different species placed in different quarters of the 

 world, should have certain near resemblances to one another 

 without being bastards, or degenerated descendants, the one of 



* Edwards. fSloane. 



|| A species of Gryllus, well known for its lively chatter during the even- 

 ings and nights of September and October. 



