AMERICAN REDSTART. 277 
of his tiny body the full effect of color-contrast, shifting every moment into novel com- 
binations with the cool shade of the background, himself the foremost figure of an 
animated picture. But with all this grace and elegance, this revelry and waywardness, 
when color plays the pleasing part of a continual surprise, the Redstart has an eye to 
business, and incessantly pursues the gauzy creatures that furnish food to him and all 
his kind. You may know him even in his early incompleted dress, and never fail to 
recognize his less conspicuous mate, by several characteristic traits. In their unceasing 
forays on the inseét world, they have a fashion of skipping rapidly along the larger 
horizontal boughs of trees, with lowered head and drooping wings, and with incessant 
sidewise flirting of the fan-shaped tail, that best displays its pretty parti-coloration, 
the attitude and action being exactly those you have observed in the poultry-yard, 
when the sultan of the harem pursues a reluctant fugitive. These headstrong raids along 
the limbs are changed at intervals, when still more buoyant and more dexterous action 
absorbs the ceaseless stream of the Redstart’s energy; without a moment’s pause, the 
birds shoot out, to this side or to that, and capture inseéts on the wing in the most 
spirited manner; they dart in zigzag, generally downward, while the repeated clicking 
of their mandibles, as turn after turn is executed at seeming random, yet with admirable 
precision, tells with what success these dashing guerillas wage their warfare. Such raids 
are made right through the ranks of the airy little insects that swarm in the sunbeams, 
and at every descent into their midst not one, but many, of the midges meet their fate; 
the Flycatcher regains his foothold with marvelous celerity, and races as before along 
the limb, with many a twitter of delight, till he is lost to view.” 
The song of the Redstart is not at all characteristic, reminding the observer of 
the notes of the Yellow-throated, Chestnut-sided, Yellow, and other Warblers. It is 
quaint and not very musical, though hearty and frequently uttered. According to Nuttall, 
who had a very fine ear for bird-melodies, many of the Redstart’s notes cannot be recalled 
by any human sounds, as they are mere trills of harmony. ‘Their song on their first 
arrival is however nearly uniform, and greatly resembles the ’tsh, ’tsh tshee, tshé, tshe, 
tshe tshea or ’tsh ’tsh ’tsh ’tshitshee of the Summer Yellowbird (Dendroica aestiva), 
uttered ina piercing and rather slender tone; now and then also agreeably varied with 
asomewhat plaintive flowing ’tshé ’tshé ’tsché, or a more agreeable ’tshit, ’tshit a’tshee, 
given almost in the tones of the common Yellowbird (Spinus 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.” Audubon gives a good account of the Redstart’s 
song. I quote the whole paragraph, which gives another pleasing glimpse of the bird. 
“It keeps in perpetual motion,” he says, “hunting along the branches sidewise, jumping 
to either side in search of insects and larve, 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-whee, are then emitted. Should it observe an inseét 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 zigzags. The insect secured, the lovely 
