216 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



domain is invaded by a human being he flies into the bushes and 

 greets the intruder with a most varied medley of whistling, cackling, 

 whispering, uncouth guttural sounds, yet all the time he remains 

 hidden, and as he continually shifts his position it is often exceedingly 

 difficult to detect him, even though he continues his varied sounds. 

 By remaining perfectly quiet you generally can catch a glimpse of 

 his bright eye and yellow breast, or see his white crissum as he turns 

 in the tangled leafy shrubbery. The nest, composed of leaves, grape- 

 vine bark and grasses, is built usually in briery thickets. The eggs, 

 four or five in number, are white, marked with reddish brown. They 

 measure a little less than 1 inch in length and a trifle over f wide. 

 The Chat feeds chiefly on different forms of insect life. He also sub- 

 sists on wild strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, whortleberries and 

 small wild grapes. 



GENUS SETOPHAGA. SWAINSON. 

 687. Setophaga ruticilla (LINN.). 



American Redstart. 



DESCRIPTION. (Plate 43.) 



Length about 5 ; extent about 8 inches ; bills and legs black. 



Male. Prevailing color glossy black ; the belly and under tail coverts, white; 

 some feathers in the latter strongly tinged with dark-brown ; bases on all the quills, 

 except the inner and outer, and basal half of all the tail feathers, except the middle 

 one, a patch on each side of the breast, and lining of the wings orange-red, of a ver_ 

 million shade on the breast. Female with the black replaced by grayish-olive 

 above, by brownish-white beneath ; the head tinged with ash ; a grayish-white lore 

 and ring round the eye ; the red of the male replaced by yellow. Young male sim- 

 ilar to adult female but browner above, the yellow more of a reddish hue ; imma- 

 ture males are often seen with glossy black feathers singly or in patches. Two or 

 three years are, it is said, required before this bird gains its perfect plumage. 



Hab. North America, north to Fort Simpson, west regularly to the Great Basin, 

 casually to the Pacific Coast, breeding from the middle portion of the United States 

 northward. In winter the West Indies, and from southern Mexico through Cen- 

 tral America to northern South America. 



The Redstart during migrations May and September is abundant 

 and very generally distributed throughout the State. Although found 

 in all sections of our Commonwealth as a summer resident, as such it 

 is much more numerous in the northern parts and mountainous re- 

 gions than elsewhere. In Erie and Crawford county it is a common 

 breeder, but in Chester, Delaware, Bucks and Lancaster counties it is 

 seldom found breeding. Frequents chiefly forests, but often in com- 

 pany with other warblers, visits fruit and shade trees about houses, 

 lawns and parks. The male, in his showy dress of black, fiery orange 

 and white, is one of the most attractive inhabitants of the woods. 

 Like a Fly-catcher, he darts from his perch with clicking bill to secure 



