EEDSTAET. 



283 



Male: lustrous blue-black, belly and orissnm white, sides of the breast, large spot at 

 bases of the remiges, and basal half of the tail feathers (except the middle ipa'w) fiery 

 orange, belly often tinged with the same. Female: olivaceous, ashler on the head, en- 

 tirely white below, wings and tail blackish, with the flame color of the male represented 

 by yellow. Yoang male like the female, but browner, the yellow of an orange hue. 

 From the circumstance that many spring males are shot in the general plumage of the 

 female, but showing irregular isolated black patches it is probable that the species re- 

 quires at least two years to gain its perfect plumage. Length E^; wing and tall 

 about 2J. 



Habitat, the greater part of temperate North America, especially the Eastern Pro- 

 vince ; north to Fort Simpson ; west to Utah ; south in South America to Ecuador. 

 West Indies. 



Abundant summer resident, arriving the first week in May and re- 

 maining until September. The Redstart is the most abundant arboreal 

 species of the family, and breeds with us abundantly. Sometimes they 

 appear in large flocks, composed almost entirely of females and males in 

 imperfect plumage. Usually they seem to migrate individually or in 

 company with other species. The first to arrive are full plumaged males. 

 During the migrations they are frequently seen about the fruit and 

 shade trees in cities. They are decidedly birds of the forest, and during 

 the breeding season are seldom seen except in rather extensive or retired 

 woods. As its structure indicates, it is par excellence the fly-catcher of the 

 family. As it hops from limb to limb, opening and closing its tail, or 

 flies from its perch with clicking bill to secure its insect food, its em- 

 phatic and beautiful colors render it a very attractive sight. 



The nest is placed in the fork of a sapling from six to fifteen feet from 

 the ground. It is constructed of vegetable fibres, strips of grapevine 

 Dark, and grasses, with a lining ot fine grasses and horse-hair. The eggs 

 are four, soiled grayish-white, dotted and blotched with brown, lavender, 

 and purple. They vary in size, and average .66 by .49. 



FAMILY TANAGRID^. TANAGERS. 



Apparently intermediate between Sylvicolidw and FringillidcB. Abundant in species in 

 the tropics; in the United States represented by a single genus. Primaries nine ; other 

 family characters not well I'etermined, but, for our purposes, are sufficiently set forth in 

 the following description of the 



Genus PYEANGA. Vieillot. 



BUI nearly straight, sub-eonical, cylindrical, notched at tip; cnlmen moderately 

 curved ; commissure with a median acute lobe. Wings elongated, the four outer primaries 

 about equal. Tail moderate, slightly forked. 



