342 SINGING OP THE REDSTART 



listen to them without the slightest difficulty, so incessantly are 

 they uttered during the breeding season. The actions I have 

 endeavored to portray are invariably accompanied by these 

 queer sounds in the intervals between the side-raids after flying 

 insects. They are rather feeble notes to come from so sprightly 

 and energetic a performer, though delivered with much anima- 

 tion and endless repetition. Wilson rendered their ordinary 

 song by the syllables weese, weese, weese, and alludes to several 

 variations of this twitter his ear had learned to distinguish. 

 "Many of these tones," says Nnttall, "as they are mere trills 

 of harmony cannot be recalled by any words. Their song on 

 their first arrival is however nearly uniform, and greatly resem- 

 bles the Hsh Hsh tshee, tslid, tshe, tslie tshea, or Hsh Hsh Hsh HsMtshee 

 of the summer Tellow-bird {Sylvia wstiva), uttered in a piercing 

 and rather slender tone ; now and then also agreeably varied 

 with a somewhat plaintive flowing Hshe HsliS Hsche, or a more 

 agreeable Hsldt 'tshit aHshee, given almost in the tones of the 

 Common Yellow-bird (Fringilla tristis). I have likewise heard 

 individuals warble out a variety of sweet, and tender, trilling, 

 rather loud and shrill notes, so superior to the ordinary lay of 

 incubation, that the performer would scarcely be supposed the 

 same bird. On some occasions the male also, when angry or 

 alarmed, utters a loud and snapping chirp." It is probably to 

 such notes as these last that Wilson alludes in rendering the 

 sound by sic, sic, saic. Audubon attempts to indicate the 

 sounds in still a different way : I quote the whole paragraph, 

 which gives a pleasing glimpse of the bird again. "It keeps 

 in perpetual motion," he says, "hunting along the branches 

 sidewise, jumping to either side in search of insects and larvae, 

 opening its beautiful tail at every movement which it makes, 

 then closing it, and flirting it from side to side, just allowing 

 the transparent beauty of the feathers to be seen for a moment. 

 The wings are observed gently drooping during these motions, 

 and its pleasing notes, which resemble the sounds of teetee-whee, 

 teetee-ichee, are then emitted. Should it observe an insect on 

 the wing, it immediately flies in pursuit of it, either mounts into 

 the air in its wake, or comes towards the ground spirally and 

 in many zig-zags. The insect secured, the lovely Eedstart reas- 

 cends, perches, and sings a different note, equally clear, and 

 which may be expressed by the syllables wizz, wizz, wizz. 

 While following insects on the wing, it keeps its bill constantly 

 open, snapping as if it procured several of them on the same 

 excursion. It is frequently observed balancing itself in the air, 



