AMERICAN REDSTART. 
105 
The length of this species is five inches ; extent, six and a 
quarter ; the general colour above is black, which covers the 
whole head and neck, and spreads on the upper part of the 
breast in a rounding form, where, as well as on the head and 
neck, it is glossed with steel blue ; sides of the breast below 
this, black; the inside of the wings, and upper half of the 
wing-quills, are of a fine aurora colour ; but the greater and 
lesser coverts of the wings, being black, conceal this ; and the 
orange or aurora colour, appears only as a broad transverse 
band across the wings; from thence to the tip, they are brownish; 
the four middle feathers of the tail are black, the other eight 
of the same aurora colour, and black towards the tips ; belly 
and vent, white, slightly streaked with pale orange ; legs, 
black ; bill, of the true Muscicapa form, triangular at the base, 
beset with long bristles, and notched near the point ; the 
female has not the rich aurora band across the wing ; her back 
and crown are cinereous, inclining to olive ; the white below 
is not so pure ; lateral feathers of the tail and sides of the 
breast, greenish yellow ; middle tail-feathers, dusky brown. 
The young males of a year old are almost exactly like the 
female, differing in these particulars, that they have a yellow 
band across the wings which the female has not, and the back 
is more tinged with brown ; the lateral tail-feathers are also 
yellow ; middle ones, brownish black ; inside of the wings, 
yellow. On the third season, they receive their complete 
colours ; and, as males of the second year, in nearly the dress 
of the female, are often seen in the woods, having the same 
notes as the full plumaged male, it has given occasion to some 
•people to assert, that the females sing as well as the males ; 
and others have taken them for another species. The fact, 
however, is as I have stated it. This bird is too little known 
by people in general to have any provincial name. 
