BLACK REDSTART REDBREAST. 
49 
such unsightly trees. It will, moreover, take possession of the deserted hole 
of the Woodpecker and Nuthatch, and such crevices in our forest trees as are 
produced by natural decay.” Mr. Ingram wrote me “ On Blackberry Hill, 
above Belvoir Castle, the nest is found every year in one locality,” and, in 
company with that gentleman at Belvoir, on 12th June, 1884, I was successful 
in getting a nest — built in a crevice of a loose stone wall — with seven eggs, 
and the parent birds for the Museum “ local ” collection. 
Messrs. C. and T. Adcock wrote: — “In the spring of 1887 we found 
a nest at Thurnby, in the far corner of a barn, on a ledge under the roof, 
behind a stone about the size of an orange which appeared to have been 
thrown there. Knowing that the female would attend to the nest, we secured 
the male bird, the young at that time being in the down. A few days later 
we were surprised to find another pair of Eedstarts helping the widowed 
mother to rear her six fatherless Eedtails, and seven days after our first visit 
we found them all outside the barn, and well able to fly.” 
In Eutlakd. — A summer migrant, sparingly distributed and breeding, 
not uncommon in the vicinity of Uppingham. Two nests found by IMr. Horn 
were built in the deserted holes of the Woodpecker. 
BLACK EEDSTAET. Ruticilla titys (Scopoli). 
“ Blackstart.” 
A rare winter visitant. — I am exceedingly pleased to be the first to 
add this rare bird, not only to the Leicestershire list but to the Leicester 
Museum, through the kindness of Mr. F. F. How, of Evington Street, who 
procured a fine example (in the flesh) — an adult male in winter dress — for 
a few pence, from a bird-catcher, who caught it on 19th Oct., 1888, apparently 
near Belgrave. 
In Eutland. — No report. 
EEDBEEAST. Erithacus rubecida (Linnaeus). 
“ Eobin.” 
Eesident and common ; breeding in all sorts of situations, usually very 
early, and being double or even treble-brooded, very late. — The end of February 
and beginning of March, 1883, were very severe, during which time a Eobin 
was sitting on four eggs in ivy growing beside the greenhouse in the garden of 
Mr. T. Lawrence, of Stoneygate, Leicester, who wrote me that it sat and hatched 
its young throughout the snowy weather, and that it fed upon crumbs placed 
for it on a bank hard by, until a Cat, it is supposed, killed the young and caused 
the old birds to desert the nest. The Museum possesses : — A nest containing 
three young birds, found, in May, 1883, built in a broken bottle, surrounded by 
wine and soda-water bottles and toy-skittles (!), in a tool-house in Mr. C. S. 
Eobinson’s garden at Stoneygate. A nest containing four young, — together with 
the parent birds — found, on 4th April, 1884, in the bank of a small ditch by the 
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