AMERICAN REDSTART. 
295 
on its being approached, the male will flit about within 
a few feet of the invader, regardless of his personal safe- 
ty, and exhibiting unequivocal marks of distress. The 
parents also, in their solicitude and fear, keep up an in- 
cessant 9 1 ship when their infant brood are even dis- 
tantly approached. 
The length of the Redstart is 5J inches ; alar extent about 
Above, the general color is black, in places glossed with steel blue ; 
the sides of the breast below the black, the inside of the wings, and 
upper half of the primaries are of a fine reddish orange, sometimes 
approaching scarlet. The 4 middle feathers of the tail are black, the 
rest orange and black towards the tips. The belly and vent white, 
tinged with pale orange. Legs blackish, long and slender, (better 
suited for walking than those of the other Flycatchers of the United 
States.) Bill brownish flesh-color. — The young males resemble 
the female in most respects, but differ in having a yellow band 
across the wings ; the back is also browner, the inside of the wings 
is yellow. In the 3d season he acquires his perfect livery. 
