AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 303 



AMERICAN REDSTART, 



A. O. U. No. 687. (Setophaga rnticilia.) 



RANGE. 



Entire North America south of middle Canada. It is more abund- 

 ant in the middle and eastern portions and is only found casually in 

 California. Breeds from the middle United States northwards, and 

 winters in Cuba, Mexico and Central America. 

 DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 5.5 in.; extent, 8 in.; tail, 2.5 in. Bill and feet, black. Eye, 

 brown. Male: — Entire head, neck, and upper parts, a rich glossy blue- 

 black. Remainder of under parts, white except the sides and under 

 lining of the wings, which are a bright orange flame color. A band 

 across the outer tail feathers and another across the wing formed by 

 the basal portions of the quill feathers are of the same color. 



Female: — The black of the upper parts of the male is replaced with 

 an olive gray rather more ashy on the crown, and the white of the 

 under parts includes also the chin, throat and breast. The bright 

 orange of the male is on the female a rich yellow. Eye lids and a 

 stripe in front of the eye, are whitish. Young males resemble the 

 female and do not gain their fullest plumage until the third year, the 

 black gradually appearing upon them in patches. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



Redstarts build a beautiful and substantial nest of shreds of plants 

 and spiders webs and line it skillfully with fine grasses and hair. This 

 they sometimes saddle on a limb but much more often secure in a 

 crotch of some bush or small tree at heights varying from four to 

 twenty feet. They lay four or five pinkish white eggs which are rather 

 more elongated than those of the Yellow Warbler, These are marked 

 more thickly about the larger end with spots and specks of different 

 shades of brown and gray. 



HABITS 



This warbler is small but he is very much in evidence wherever found 

 because of his striking coloration, vivacious manners, and often repeat- 

 ed high-pitched song, if the rapid repetition of a single syllable may be 

 designated as such. Although uncommon on the Pacific coast, this 

 warbler is to be noted as one of the very few whose range extends 

 across the Continent. Their more common habits may be found in the 

 following account: 



