188 
N£STS AND EGGS OF 
the 20th of April in certain seasons ; in New England from the first to 
the 15th of May, but not before the last of this month in the moss-clad 
willows of the marshes that skirt the far Saskatchewan. The red linins: 
of its wings as it flits through the sombre foliage of the trees in pursuit 
of insects renders it an object of attraction, and one to be easily recognized. 
AVere this mark of identification wanting, its crisp, lovely notes would tell 
the tale of its presence, and lead the j)ursuer at once to its whereabouts. 
The song of the Redstart resembles very closely that of the Black 
and White Creeper, but differs in being less prolonged, and in its quicker, 
sharper intonation. It may be very ai^propriately represented by the 
syllables ts'i-ts'i-tsnoe , the last ending rather abruptly. Its ordinary call is 
a simple tsJch, which is heard at long and irregular intervals. Singular 
to say, these sounds are most frequent when the bird is most active, and 
not while in the enjoyment of the quietude which follows such a life. At 
such times our hitherto energetic friend maintains the utmost silence. 
Being an extremely early riser, it is in the cool, calm hours of the morn- 
ing, ere all Nature is astir, that he regales the listening spirits of the 
groves with his sweetest music. About four o’clock he awakes from his 
slumber, arranges his toilet with care, and with a hapj^y heart starts out 
to breakfast. But few of his neighbors are up, and for a while he has 
everything his own way. For nearly five hours he is a busy gleaner. 
Fastidious in appetite, he does not accept whatever he meets with, but 
prefers his viands to be of the very best that the great market of the world 
possesses. While beetles are devoured when other articles are not conve- 
nient, there is manifestly a strong predilection for the juicier fly and moth, 
or the honey-bearing aphis. 
A remarkable peculiarity of this species whilst feeding deserves a 
passing notice in this connection. We allude to its habit of opening and 
closing the wings, and of expanding the feathers of the tail. Whether 
these movements are done for show or not, we are unable to say. They 
cannot be considered as designed solely for attracting the sexes to each 
other, which would doubtless be the correct interpretation if they were 
