260 SYLVIAD A. 
Sweden till the end of the month: and the character of the 
season exercises great influence in determining the time of 
the appearance of this bird, as well as some others; the 
state of vegetation and temperature being generally better 
indicators than the almanack. 
In some particulars the Redstart resembles the Blue- 
throat and the Redbreast. It inhabits the skirts of forests, 
lanes, meadows, orchards and gardens, and is partial to old 
walls and ruins, particularly if overrun with ivy. The male 
bird is remarkable for the distribution and purity of the 
colours of his plumage, and makes himself rather conspicu- 
ous by perching on the uppermost branch of low trees, 
moving his tail repeatedly, and singing his soft and sweet 
song, — occasionally taking a short flight to some other 
prominent station, and singing as he flies. Like most of 
those birds that are gifted with powers of song, as observed 
in the account of the Blackbird, the Redstart is also an 
imitator of the notes of other birds; and some have been 
taught, like the Bullfinch, to repeat a tune. Mr. Sweet pos- 
sessed a Redstart that whistled the Copenhagen Waltz; and 
other males of this species have been known to imitate very 
closely the notes of the Sparrow and Chaffinch, and the 
songs of the Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. 
The food of the Redstart is worms, beetles and their 
grubs, flies, spiders, ants and their eggs, fruit and berries. 
Most of these they seek for on the ground, like the Accentors 
and Redbreasts; but they are also frequently seen to 
capture insects on the wing with as much ease and certainty 
as the true Flycatchers. 
The nest, which is rather loosely constructed, is formed of 
moss externally, and lmed with hair and feathers: it is occa- 
sionally placed in a hollow tree, or in a hole in a wall, or 
behind a branch of a tree that is trained against a wall, and 
