282 
AMERICAN REDSTART. 
with wood, and wherever flying insects abound, there this lit- 
tle bird is sure to be seen. It makes its appearance in Pennsyl- 
vania, from the south, late in April; and leaves us again about 
the beginning of September. It is very generally found over 
the whole United States; and has been taken at sea, in the fall, 
on its way to St. Domingo,* and other of the West India islands, 
w’here it winters, along with many more of our summer vis- 
itants. It is also found in Jamaica, where it remains all winter.! 
The name Redstart, evidently derived from the German Roth- 
sterts (red tail), has been given this bird from its supposed re- 
semblance to the Redstart of Europe {Motacilla phoenicurus); 
but besides being decisively of a different genus, it is very dif- 
ferent both in size and in the tints and disposition of the colours 
of its plumage. Buffbn goes even so far as to question whether 
the differences between the two be more than what might be 
naturally expected from change of climate. This eternal refer- 
ence of every animal of the new world to that of the old, if 
adopted to the extent of this writer, with all the transmutations 
it is supposed , to have produced, would leave us in doubt wheth- 
er even the Ka-te-dids\ of America were not originally Nightin- 
gales of the old world, degenerated by the inferiority of the food 
and climate of this upstart continent. We have in America many 
different species of birds that approach so near in resemblance 
to one another, as not to be distinguished but by the eye of a 
naturalist, and on a close comparison; these live in the same 
climate, feed on the same food, and are, I doubt not, the same 
now as they were five thousand years ago; and ten thousand years 
hence, if the species then exist, will be found marked with the 
same nice discriminations as at present. Is it therefore surpris- 
ing, that two different species placed in different quarters of the 
world, should have certain near resemblances to one another 
without being bastards, or degenerated descendants, the one of 
* Edwards. f Sloane. 
(I A species of Gryllus, well known for its lively chatter during the even- 
ing's and nights of September and October. 
