BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
187 
Plate XXXII. 
SETOPHAGA EUTICILLA, (Linn.) Sivainson. 
American Redstart 
In the habit of capturing insects upon tlie wing, the sylvicoline sub- 
family of birds to which the Eedstart belongs, resembles very closely the 
smaller Flycatchers, but it differs in being less sedentary. When in pur- 
suit of food, it is constantly on the move, in and out among the branches 
and foliage, seldom, if ever, waiting for some ajiparently witless insect to 
manifest itself as our Pewees do. The strictly oscine character of the tarsal 
scutellse or plates, and the existence of nine primary wing-feathers, are 
sufficient to distinguish them from the latter, notwithstanding the orange 
or yellow crown of some of its members. These birds — the Setophaglncn of 
naturalists — have their greatest development in tropical America, where no 
less than nine genera and sub-genera are known to exist. Only two of 
them extend into the United States, and of the genus of Eedstarts, we 
have but one of the many that have been described. This specie's, to 
which allusion has just been made, has an extended distribution, but 
chiefly in Eastern North America. It has been found from the Atlantic 
westward to Utah, and from Florida to Fort Simjison in British America. 
Throughout the river bottoms of the Missouri, according to various ob- 
servers, it is one of the most abundant of summer occupants, and is also 
to be found quite frequently as a breeder in the foot-hills west of Denver. 
Mr. Allen, who is our authority for this statement, believes it to be 
sparingly represented in this region wherever woodlands exist. In the 
mountains it was not observed beyond the limit of 8000 feet. 
The time of its arrival is usually about the first of May, never later 
in the latitude of Philadelphia than the 8th, and occasionally as early as 
