170 THE REDSTART 



nesting boxes, one must give a warning in connection 

 with those smaller birds who like to nest in holes in 

 walls and trees. I have seen them with lids at the top 

 for the proprietor to open, which, through stress of 

 weather and weak rusty hinges, soon came to grief. I 

 regret to say this happened in the case of the pair I knew 

 best. The lid was defective, and one night or morning 

 early soon after the nestlings were hatched out, a Shrike 

 or a Crow routed them out, to my great sorrow. 



The Redstart is an elegant gay-coloured bird of slender 

 shape, in other respects like the Robin. Throat, lores, 

 brow and bill-base are a fine black. The upper part of 

 the brow is pure white, passing into the bluish-grey of 

 the crown. Back of the head and mantle also of the 

 same beautiful bluish-grey ; breast, rump, and tail a 

 brilliant chestnut-red, but the middle feathers of the tail 

 grey. Beak and legs delicate, but strong. The female 

 bird and the young are less brightly coloured. The nest 

 is found in cracks, holes, convenient Corners, such as are 

 under the roof of summer houses. It is rather carelessly 

 put together, but well-formed, and is lined with hair and 

 feathers. The bird lays five or six eggs, of a fine rare 

 blue-green colour. 



