THE COMMON REDSTART. 



253 



is not clouded with black till the fifth or sixth year; the 

 breast is dusky rust-red waved with white ; the belly is dusky 

 white ; the rump is reddish yellow*. 



It is not till after the first moulting that the distinction 

 between the plumage of the males and females is obvious; 

 even then the breast of the male retains the black tinged with 

 white, but loses this tint in the course of the following summer; 

 the males also have for some time a white streak on the fore- 

 head, that passes above the eyes, and the belly is more white 

 than rust-red. 



HABITATION In a wild state these birds are found in Europe and Asia, 

 and are very common in Germany and England. They leave us the 

 beginning of October, and return the end of March or beginning of April. 

 At this time and in autumn they haunt hedges and bushes ; but in summer 

 they principally frequent gardens, the banks of streams planted with 

 "villows, and even forests. Those that frequent gardens also enter towns, 

 and will perch on the roofs of the houses, enlivening the inmates with their 

 song from morning till night. 



In the house, if given a cage, it should be of such light wire work as not 

 to conceal the beauty of the plumage. 



FOOD. When wild they feed on all kinds of insects, earth-worms, 

 currants, and elderberries. 



In the house, if taken in autumn, they may sometimes be induced to 

 feed on elderberries, rarely on the poultry paste. To entice them to this 

 meal-worms must be mixed with it at first, and some thrown in when it is 

 aten ; ants' eggs must be added in spring. These birds are delicate, and 

 Slways require to be supplied with insects ; but never give them earth- 

 worms, as they do not digest them easily. If kept in cages they should be 

 tiven nightingales* food ; yet fed in this way it is rare to preserve them 

 tove three or four years ; they generally die of consumption or atrophy. 



BREEDING. The red -start generally places its nest in a hole of a tree 

 |r wall ; it is negligently formed of moss, stalks of grass, feathers, and 

 fciir. The female has two broods in the year, and each time she lays 

 from five to seven eggs, of an apple green. Scarcely have the tail-feathers 

 begun to grow ere the young ones hop from the nest and perch on some 

 neighbouring branch, where they receive food from the parent birds till 

 they are able to seek it for themselves. Their plumage before moulting 

 is ash grey spotted with white. The young females resemble the nightin- 

 gale so much in autumn that they are often mistaken for it. Bird-fanciera 

 should rear these birds on ants' eggs, with white bread soaked in boiled 

 milk occasionally, and thus accustom them to the common universal paste. 

 They learn to repeat parts of the songs of their companions. 



* At a very advanced age the female acquires all the colonrg o t the male yet 

 less bright, as I have observed of several birds. Such femal s do not breed after- 

 wards, and in summer fly from place to place. This peculiarity is also observed in 

 hen-pheasants AUTHOR. 



