THE REDSTART. 291 



walls nesting-sites occur iu abundance, sometimes but a few inches iu 

 depth, at others several feet, it matters but little. Favourite situations 

 are also amongst old ruins, but rarely at any great height from the ground. 

 The nest itself is a very slovenly piece of workmanship, so loosely made 

 m some cases as to render it impossible to remove it entire from its 

 resting-place. It is made of dry grass, moss, sometimes a little wool, 

 but neatly lined with hair and feathers, and will frequently remain empty 

 for a few days when comijleted ere the first egg is deposited. The eggs 

 are usually five or six in number, occasionally seven, and even eight. 

 They are a paler blue and more highly polished than those of the Hedge- 

 Accentor ; and the shell is far more fragile. They vary in length from 

 ■8 to '7 inch, and in breadth from '57 to '5 inch. You may remove the 

 eggs of the Redstart, and yet she will continue laying, seldom forsaking 

 the nest ; indeed Dixon has taken, by way of experiment, as many as 

 twelve eggs consecutively from one nest. The same remarks apply to the 

 Starling, and also to most life-paired birds and those who tenant the same 

 nest each successive season, or build a new one close to that of the pre- 

 ceding year. The young are fed entirely on insects and larvae. It is most 

 probable that only one brood is reared in the year ; but should the first 

 nest prove unfortunate, the birds will renew their attempts to rear a 

 family. 



The Redstart cannot easily be confounded ^lith any other British bird. 

 Its head and back are slate-grey ; the wings are brown, the forehead white ; 

 and the rump, tail (except the two central tail-feathers, which are much 

 darker than the rest), breast, and flanks arc rich chestnut, becoming much 

 paler on the belly. A narrow band at the base of the upper mandible, the 

 chin, upper throat, and ear-coverts are rich black. Legs, feet, and claws 

 black; irides dark brown. The female is a brown bird, but has the vent 

 and tail chestnut, although not so brilliant as iu the male. Birds of 

 the year are like the female ; so, too, are the nestlings, but spotted above 

 and below. After the moult in autumn the male bird closely resembles 

 the female, owing to the broad brown margins of the feathers ; but in the 

 spring these margins are cast and the brilliant nuptial dress is assumed 

 without a moult. 



In the Caucasus, Asia Minor, and Greece, Ehrenberg's Redstart {Ruticilla 

 mesoleuca) occurs, but has been, to a very great extent, confounded with 

 its near although perfectly distinct ally. It is easily distinguished from 

 the Common Redstart by the white patches on the wings, similar to 

 those on the wings of the Black Redstart. Ehrenberg's Redstart has only 

 become known in this country within the last few years. When I brought 

 the first skin over from Asia Minor, no ornithologist would admit it to be 

 more than an accidental variety of our bird ; but the late Mr. Verreaux 

 pointed out to me that it was an Eastern form of our Redstart which 



u2 



