MUSCICAPA RUTICILLA, 



REDSTART. 

 [Plate XL V. Fig. 2. Young Bird.] 



THE male of this species may be seen in his perfect dress, in 

 plate 6; the present figure represents the young bird as he 

 appears for the first two seasons; the female differs very little 

 from this, chiefly in the green olive; being more inclined to 

 ash. 



This is one of our summer birds, and from the circumstance 

 of being found off Hispaniola in November, is supposed to win- 

 ter in the islands. They leave Pennsylvania about the twentieth 

 of September; are dexterous flycatchers, though ranked by Eu- 

 ropean naturalists among the warblers, having the bill notched 

 and beset with long bristles. 



In its present dress the Redstart makes its [appearance^in 

 Pennsylvania about the middle or twentieth of April; and from 

 being heard chanting its few sprightly notes has been supposed 

 by some of our own naturalists to be a different species. I have, 

 however, found both parents of the same nest in the same dress 

 nearly; the female, eggs and nest, as well as the notes of the 

 male, agreeing exactly with those of the Redstart; evidence suf- 

 ficiently satisfactory to me. 



Head above dull slate; throat pale buff; sides of the breast 

 and four exterior tail feathers fine yellow, tipt with dark brown ; 

 wings and back greenish olive; tail coverts blackish, tipt with 

 ash; belly dull white; no white or yellow on the wings; legs 

 dirty purplish brown; bill black. 



The Redstart extends very generally over the United States; 

 having myself seen it on the borders of Canada, and also in the 

 Mississippi territory. 



