96 



KEY AND DESCRIPTION 



40. American Redstart (687. Setdphaga ruticilla). — A small, 

 very lively, dark-colored, brilliantly-marked, flycatching war- 

 bler, with bright or- 

 ange or flame color at 

 base of tail, middle of 

 wings, and under the 

 wings. The belly is 

 nearly white, the bill is 

 very broad, and the ric- 

 tal bristles fully half 

 as long as the bill. The 

 female is a brownish- 

 gray bird with dull- 

 yellow markings re- 

 placing the orange of 

 the male. This is one 

 of the most beautiful and active of the warblers, and is to be 

 found abundantly in most woodlands and shrubberies. 



Length, 5^ (4|-5}); wing, 2^ (2|-2f); tail, 2| ; tarsus, f ; culmen, |. 

 North America, west casually to California ; breeding from North Carolina 

 and Kansas north to Labrador, and wintering south of the United States 

 to South America. 



Ameiicaa Redstart 



FAMILY Vin. VIREOS (VIRE6NID^) 



A family (50 species) of exclusively American, small, olive- 

 backed birds of woods and thickets, with narrow, stout, notched 

 and hooked bills. ^ Our largest species is about the size of the 

 English sparrow. The vireos are insect-eating birds, but un- 

 like many warblers and all the true flycatchers, they gather 

 their prey while perching. With rather slow movements they 

 patiently search over and under leaves, on twigs and bark, for 

 spiders, beetles, caterpillars, etc. All our species are good 

 singers, and some are noted for their vocal powers. Dr. Coues 

 thus speaks of them : " Xext after the warblers, the greenlets 

 [vireos] are the most delightful of our forest birds, though 

 their charms address the ear and not the eye. ... In the 



