316 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEBES— OSCINES. 



153. S. ruticil'la. (Lat. rwticiZfa, red-tail; rutilus, reMish.; "redstart" is corrupted from roth- 

 stm% red-tail.) Ameeican Redstart. ,J, adult: Lustrous blue-black, the belly, flanks 

 and crissum white. Sides of the body and lining of wings rich flame-color, which often 

 tinges the breast quite ■across. Basal portions of all the wing-quiUs, excepting the innermost 

 secondaries, the same rich reddish-orange, brightest on the outer webs, where it forms a con- 

 spicuous exposed spot, paler and more extensive on the inner webs. AU the lateral tail- 

 feathers similarly colored for half or more of their length, the orange meeting the black 

 abruptly with transverse outline. BiU and feet black. Length 5.00-5.50; extent 7.50-8.00 • 

 wing 2.25-2.50 ; tail the same ; bill 0.33 ; tarsus 0.66. ? , adult : The black of the <J replaced 

 on the upper parts with oUve, growing more ashy on the head, on the wings with fuscous, and 

 below with white. Sides rich yellow where the $ is orange, this color often tinging the breast 

 across. Orange markings of the wings and taU of the $ replaced by clear yellow. Lores 



Fig. 177. — Honey Creeper {CertAiola flaveola; not distingaishable in a out from C. bahamensis), f nat. size. 

 (From Brehm.) 



dusky ; eyelids and slight stripe from nostrils to eye whitish. Eather smaller than the ^ , about 

 equal to the lesser several dimensions given. $, young : Like the 9 , but the upper parts more 

 brownish, the tail quite black, and the yellow of the sides brighter. Males changing in the 

 spring to their final plumage are irregularly patched with black in the general olivaceous and 

 white. The spring migration includes males in this condition, and others irregularly patched 

 with black, as well as those in perfect dress ; whence it is evident that the redstart does not 

 acquire his fuU-dress suit until in his third year. (See B. C. V., p. 340.) Temperate N. Am., 

 but chiefly Eastern ; W. to Utah. Breeds in most of its U. S., and all of its British American 

 range ; abundant from the Northern States. Nest a neat compact structure in the fork of a 

 shrub or sapling at little elevation; eggs 4-5, averaging 0.65-0.50, not distinguishable from 

 other warbler eggs. During the nuptial ecstasies the lovely redstart shines among the birds 

 that throng the woodland, where his transparent beauty flashes like a lambent tongue of flame 

 at play amidst the tender pale green foliage of the trees. 



