8 



THE YOUNG NATUEALIST. 



Plumage.— Male. Bill black. Eyes 

 brown. A black patch begins above the 

 bill, extending over the eyes, and covering 

 the whole of the throat and breast. Fore- 

 head white. Top of head and back bluish 

 lead colour. Wings brown. Rump and 

 outer tail feathers bright orange red, centre 

 feathers brown. Under parts orange red, 

 whiter towards the vent. Legs dark brown. 



The Female is without the black breast, 

 and also the white forehead. The upper 

 parts are greyish brown ; under parts 

 brownish, lighter towards the vent. Rump 

 and tail red, but not so bright as in the 

 male. Very old females are said to resemble 

 the males in colour. 



Inmature males, that is after their first 

 moult, and adult males in winter have the 

 black and red less pure, and the feathers 

 margined with white. The immature ones 

 are also without the white band on the fore- 

 head, or it is very faint. 



The Young, before the autumnal moult, 

 resemble the young of the Robin, being 

 dusky brown, each feather having a pale 

 spot, and the tail and rump reddish. 



Varieties are rare. One milk white is 

 recorded (Zool. 2699;, and Mr. Bond has 

 seen two or three pied or white. 



Note. — The Redstart has a short sweet 

 song, and is capable of being taught to 

 whistle airs and to imitate other birds. 



Flight.— The flight of this bird is rather 

 quick but short, being rather shy and keep- 

 ing out of sight as much as possible. 



Migration. — The Redstart visits Eng- 

 land during the summer, arriving in the 

 southern portion, during the first half of 

 April. It departs again at the end of 

 August, or beginning of September. 



Pood. — Consists of all kinds of insects, 

 when not too large ; it will also eat berries 

 of various kinds. 



In Confinement it may be fed like other 

 soft-billed birds, and should have plenty of 



"Ant eggs" (pupae), and meal worms; if 

 kept in an out door aviary it will be able 

 to procure many insects which it could not 

 indoors. 



Habitat. — ^This bird is generally dis- 

 tributed over England and Wales, though 

 nowhere numerous ; it is rare west of Exeter 

 and in Scotland, and in Ireland it is still 

 rarer. 



Abroad it is a summer visitor to most 

 parts of Europe, and is also found in Africa, 

 Asia, the Canary Islands, Maderia^ and 

 Teneriffe. 



Nest. — Very loosely constructed, and 

 placed in a hole in a wall or old tree, or 

 other similar situation. Sometimes very 

 odd situations are made choice of, such as 

 under an inverted flower-pot. It is con- 

 structed of moss, sometimes with a little 

 dry grass, and lined with hair and feathers. 



Eggs, — Five or six eggs are laid, and in 

 some rare cases seven ; pale bluish-green, 

 rather paler than those of the Hedge- 

 sparrow, smaller and slightly narrower in 

 proportion. 



33, BLACK REDSTART. 

 Sylvia titys, Scop. 

 TiTYS. — A small chirping bird. 



Size. — Male, length, 6 in. Expanse, 

 rather more than the Redstart, 9^ in. 

 Female rather smaller. 



Plumage. — Male, bill black. Eyes 

 dark brown. Top of head, neck, back, and 

 wing coverts dark bluish grey ; rump and 

 tail as in the common Redstart. Primaries 

 brownish black ; secondaries white on the 

 outer webs. Chin, throat, and breast black, 

 the feathers margined with grey. Under 

 parts reddish grey. Legs black. 



Female. — Similar to the female of the 

 common species, but rather darker, and 

 showing indications of white on the second- 

 aries in old birds. 



