THE REDSTART. 
169 
fate,— as Terry came to us one day all dripping wet, his plumage disordered and half 
plucked off, — he had a most melancholy countenance, and with drooping wing, sat 
uttering faint, doleful little cries — we feared his nest (which was in the river bank,) 
had been robbed, or swept away by the recent floods : he refused to take any food 
during the whole day, looking piteously in our face for sympathy, — on the next, he 
seemed to have revived in some degree, he rushed eagerly to the crumbs, filled his 
bill full, and flew off, — he returned in the same agitated manner several times ; and 
every day, for a long period, he continued his unceasing exertions, with an anxiety 
and a deplorable wo-be-gone look, so unlike his former gay little self, that we were 
quite grieved for him. Gradually he recovered his looks, and when the brood were 
fledged he brought them to the terrace, and with the joy of a happy father, displayed 
his treasures, and fed them without fear, before our eyes. They became very familiar, 
hopping round our feet, so that we hoped they would become as tame as papa, hut 
he evidently had no such wish, for he watched them attentively, and the moment he 
perceived them approach too closely, he darted amongst them with a great flutter 
and scattered them to a proper distance, — he was so much on the alert, that we 
never succeeded in attracting any of them, and they disappeared entirely during the 
summer.* 
The only sources of annoyance our birds had with us, were from the dog and the 
cat, who occasionally accompanied us in our walks, — of the latter, they were very 
much afraid, although she was quite amenable to orders, and did not attempt to 
molest them, — hut, strange to say, with the dog they were much better friends, 
although in defiance of all correction, he would often make a bounce at them, hut 
only in play ; Terry seemed to know this, often remaining quietly on my hand, while 
Rory stood at my side gazing at him,— and we were much amused to watch occasion- 
ally, a kind of race between them, as they accompanied us down the avenue to the 
front gate, a distance of about 250 yards, the dog running before us, and the bird 
flying from tree to tree during the whole way and hack again. 
Hazelbank, December 23rd, 1845. I.'T. T. 
THE BEDSTABT. 
Plicenicura ruticilla, Swains. 
Motacilla phcenicurus, Linn. 
Sylvia „ Lath. 
Can only be noticed as a very rare visitant to Ireland. 
This is singular, as it is a regular vernal migrant, not only to 
England hut to Scotland, and is met with “from the borders to 
* A similar fact may he mentioned. A young robin which followed a relative 
through the garden, and eat food from his hand, gave him also its “ most sweet com- 
pany ” by perching on his knee or shoulder when he was seated in a garden chair ; 
this degree of familiarity however, was not at all approved of by an old bird, most 
probably its parent, which several times rushed quickly past and drove it away. 
