A EEDSTAETS NEST. 77 



as the young were seen to leave the nest, but had not expected 

 them to face the world so soon. This was a beautiful little 

 bird, showing already the rich russet colour in what he had of 

 tail ; his legs and claws were of extreme slightness and delicacy, 

 and his whole colouring and framework was far more engaging 

 than is the case with most young birds of his age. He had 

 already picked up, or had been given by his mother, a pebble or 

 two to assist his digestion. 



The Redstart was not a very common bird about us until 

 about three years ago, but now its gentle song is heard in May 

 in almost every garden and well-hedged field. In August and 

 September the young birds are everywhere seen showing their 

 conspicuous fire-tails as they flit in and out of the already fast- 

 browning hedges : yet three or four years ago my daily walks 

 did not discover more than a few dozen in a summer. What can 

 be the cause of this surprising increase of population 1 If it is 

 anything that has happened in this country, such as the passing 

 of the Wild Birds Protection Act, we must suppose that the 

 same individuals which breed and are born here in one spring, 

 return here the nest year ; i. e. our supply of this summer 

 migrant depends on the treatment it receives here, and not 

 upon the number of Redstarts available in the world generally. 

 I am inclined indeed to think, though it is difiScult to prove it, 

 that the wholesale slaughter of young birds in our neighbour- 

 hood is less horrible than it used to be before the passing of the 

 Act ; but when we remember that other creatures, certain 

 butterflies for example, whose relations to man never greatly 

 differ from year to year, are found to be much more abundant 



