THE REDBREAST. 335 



That structure of tail enables it to balance itself, with the 

 centre of gravity before the points of support ; and thus it 

 can drop down, which is its most important motion, with 

 considerable celerity. 



THE REDBREAST (Sylvia 



The redbreast, though it associates more familiarly with 

 men than almost any other free bird, is really a native of the 

 woods. It is unnecessary to describe the redbreast, as every 

 body knows it. It is about an inch and a half larger, and 

 two inches and a half more extensive in the wings, than the 

 wren; but though rather a thick-looking bird, it is not so 

 weighty in proportion to its length, as that proportion (the 

 cubic of the lengths) would give three-quarters of an ounce, 

 while the bird weighs little more than half an ounce. The 

 bill is short, nearly straight, thick and broad at the base, 

 and strong for the size of the bird. Forehead, sides of the 

 neck and breast, reddish or orange, with grey at the lateral 

 margins; the upper part alone intermediate between green 

 and brown, and with a tinge of yellow ; belly and vent, dull 

 white ; wings and tail, dark greenish-grey, with a reddish- 

 brown hue on the middle coverts of the wings. The breast 

 of the female is dull yellowish-brown; and the young birds 

 are dull brownish-green, spotted with reddish-brown, and 

 want the orange red on the breast. 



Though it has sometimes been so stated, it does not appear 

 that the redbreast is anywhere a migrant ; and there is no 

 reason to believe that it is an emigrant in any part of Britain, 

 though in countries where the districts suited to its winter 

 and summer habits run in larger tracts, as they do on many 

 parts of the continent, it may range much farther in the 

 course of the year than it does with us. Most birds that are 

 migratory are also social, at least when they are preparing 

 for their southward flight; but the redbreast, though very 



