120 
COMMON REDSTART. 
it has disappeared without apparent cause, unless 
from hedges occupying the place of stone walls, 
and in greater attention being paid to the man- 
agement of woods. It frequents the skirts of 
woods and plantations, particularly those of con- 
siderable age, the vicinity of old gardens and 
orchards, and extensive parks, where there are 
shades for cattle, and bounding walls rather in a 
state of neglect, and where the trees have been 
allowed to find their own decay ; in the holes of 
these, and sometimes in banks, it places its rather 
loosely constructed nest, and remains during the 
period of incubation almost close to the spot. 
They are found in pairs together, and from their 
quick, but silent and deliberate motions, they 
give an impression of solitariness. The male 
generally perches on some standing out branch 
of a hedge or bush, shaking its tail with a peculiar 
trembling motion, and when disturbed, flits or 
falls, as it were, and flies rapidly along the edge 
of the cover, to some other suitable resting-place. 
In this it reminds us of the kind of flight pre- 
valent among the Saxicolac, often like them seek- 
ing a screen by flying on the side of the enclosure 
away from the observer. The spot chosen for 
the nest is another point of resemblance. The 
song is low toned and sweet, but not of much 
compass. Fruits and berries are eaten as well as 
insects. The latter are occasionally taken on the 
wing, by an excursion from the perch, somewhat 
similar to the manner of the Spotted Flycatcher. 
On the middle and southern parts of the Con- 
