REDSTART. 31 
REDSTART. 
Ruricinua PHaNIcURUS, Linn. 
Pl. VIIL., fig. 12. 
Geogr. distr.—Generally distributed over the Continent of Europe; 
tolerably common in England, where it arrives in April, leaving again 
in September. 
Food.—Insects, larve, spiders, small worms, grubs, and berries. 
Nest.—Hither loosely or firmly constructed of dried grass-stems, 
fine roots, and moss lined with hair and feathers. 
Position of nest.—In hollow trees, holes in roofs of buildings, or in 
walls; other eccentric shelters, such as are frequently chosen by the 
Robin, are also sometimes selected, as, for instance, an inverted 
flower-pot. 
Number of Eggs.—5-8. 
Time of nidification.—IV-VII ; May and June. 
The nest of the Redstart is not easy to find, and I have 
never yet had the pleasure of taking it. This bird appears 
to be fond of the habitations of men, and consequently its 
young often fall victims, as do those of the Robin when 
nesting in similar situations, to the rapacity of the domestic 
tiger ; “it breeds regularly in all the counties of England 
and Wales, though very rarely to the westward of Exeter. 
In Scotland it is found in Summer as far as Caithness, but 
does not occur in the Hebrides, and only occasionally in 
Shetland, and everywhere seems to be less numerous than 
in South Britain. In Ireland it is also rare.’’* 
* Yarrell’s ‘ History of British Birds,’ 4th edition. 
