212 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



comes on this habit is lost, and the bird warbles from a lower 

 perch, usually in the neighbourhood of his nest." 



The Redstart has a very peculiar habit of shaking the lower 

 portion of its body at intervals when stationary, quite different 

 from the gentle, fanning, up and down movement of the tail that 

 is associated with the Whinchat. The former seems to be 

 periodically shaking out its feathers, somewhat after the manner 

 of a Peacock, though, of course, on a much less obtrusive scale. 

 The song in a general way, as I believe has been stated in my 

 notice of the Whinchat, bears some resemblance to that of this 

 latter bird. It has likewise a peculiarly rich, liquid note, occa- 

 sionally heard when in flight, sounding in my ears like tu-ee, 

 tu-ee, tu-ee, tu-ee, tu-ee. 



However, to revert for one moment to its nesting site : the 

 hole chosen is invariably a natural one ; there is no such thing as 

 artificially adapting it to its requirements, as is the case with some 

 of the Woodpeckers. The nest itself is artlessly put together, and 

 is formed of roots, small fibres, and dry grass, and frequently a 

 little wool, and is lined with hair and occasionally a few feathers. 

 I do not see that we have any means of ascertaining whether 

 or not this species is life-paired. Redstarts are, beyond question, 

 very conservative in their regard for old haunts, but, considering 

 it is generally admitted that the sexes do not migrate in company 

 — the males usually preceding the females in the spring of the 

 year — it must be purely a matter of speculation. 



One other little point I would touch on before closing this 

 sketch ; it refers to the marked similarity between the alarm-note 

 of the Redstart and that of the Chaffinch. It may possibly take 

 a very skilful ear to discriminate between the two utterances, but 

 I think it will be admitted that there is a more plaintive 

 character about the alarm-note of the Redstart than is noticeable 

 in the case of the other species ; while the former also frequently 

 emits a sound, two or three times quickly repeated, which resembles 

 that form of annoyance in an individual so commonly expressed 

 by the tongue and the teeth without the aid of language. 



In the summer of 1896 I found a Redstart's nest, full of young, 

 in a kettle hung on a nail in an old tumble-down shed near to 

 Keythorpe. I have also known the species utilize a site just pre- 

 viously tenanted — with success in the matter of rearing their 

 young — by a pair of Great Tits. 



