9^2 THE REDSTART. 



she will immediately forsake what she has 

 already done : if her eggs be touched she 

 will also forsake them, and if the young 

 ones be meddled with, she will either leave 

 them to starve, cr throw them out of the 

 nest. 



In its plumage the cock bird is extremely 

 beautiful, the breast, sides, tail, and rump 

 being of a fine scarlet, inclining to orange, 

 except the two middle feathers of the tail, 

 which are brown ; the back of the head, 

 neck, and back, are of a deep lead colour, 

 the belly and forehead are white, and the 

 throat, cheeks, and round the insertion of 

 the bill, are of a jet black. The female 

 may easily be distinguished by its less bril- 

 liant colours, and by its entirely wanting 

 the black of the throat and cheeks. 



Though much inferior to either the night- 

 ingale or robin in its song, it nevertheless 

 possesses a great deal of sweetness, and like 

 the former bird will frequently sing in the 

 night : it will also learn the song of other 

 birds, and for that reason ought always to 

 be placed within hearing of good songsters^ 

 such as the robin, nightingale, &c. &c. 



