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T H E A M E R I C A N REDSTART.
MUSCÍCAPA RUTICILLA, LINN.
P L A T E X L . MALE AND FEMALE.
THIS is one of the most lively, as well as one of the handsomest, of our
Fly-catchers, and ornaments our woods during spring and summer, when
it cannot fail to attract the attention of any person who may visit the interior
of the shady forests. It is to be met with over the whole of the
United States, where it arrives, according to the different localities, between
the beginning of March and the 1 st of May. It takes its departure,
on its way southward, Mate in September, and in the beginning of
October.
It keeps in perpetual motion, hunting along the branches sidewise,
jumping to either side in search of insects and larva?, opening its beautiful
tail at every movement which it makes, then closing it, and flirting it from
side to side, just allowing the transparent beauty of the feathers to be
seen for a moment. The wings are observed gently drooping during
these motions, and its pleasing notes, which resemble the sounds of Teteewhee,
Tetee-whee, are then emitted. Should it observe an insect on the
wing, it immediately flies in pursuit of it, either mounts into the air in
its wake, or comes towards the ground spirally and in many zig-zags.
The insect secured, the lovely Redstart reascends, perches, and sings a
different note, equally clear, and which may be expressed by the syllables
wizz, wizz, wizz. While following insects on the wing, it keeps its
bill constantly open, snapping as if it procured several of them on the
same excursion. It is frequently observed balancing itself in the air,
opposite the extremity of a bunch of leaves, and darting into the midst
of them after the insects there concealed.
When one approaches the nest of this species, the male exhibits the
greatest anxiety respecting its safety, passes and repasses, fluttering and
snapping its bill within a few feet, as if determined to repel the intruder.
They now and then alight on the ground, to secure an insect, but this
only for a moment. They are more frequently seen climbing along the
trunks and large branches of trees for an instant, and then shifting to a
branch, being, as I have said, in perpetual motion. It is also fond of
AMERICAN REDSTART. 208
giving chase to various birds, snapping at them without any effect, as if
solely for the purpose of keeping up the natural liveliness of its disposition.
•
The young males of this species do not possess the brilliancy and
richness of plumage which the old birds display, until the second year,
the first being spent in the garb worn by the females; but, towards the
second autumn, appear mottled with pure black and vermilion on their
sides. Notwithstanding their want of full plumage, they breed and sing
the first spring like the old males.
I have looked for several minutes at a time on the ineffectual attacks
which this bird makes on wasps while busily occupied about their own
nests. The bird approaches and snaps at them, but in vain ; for the
wasp elevating its abdomen, protrudes its sting, which prevents its being
seized. The male bird is represented in the plate in this posture.
Its nest is generally made on a low bush or sapling, and has the appearance
of hanging to the twigs. It is slight, and is composed of
lichens and dried fibres of rank weeds or grape vines, nicely lined with
soft cottony materials. The female lays from four to six white eggs,
sprinkled with ash-grey and blackish dots. It rears only a single brood
in a season. The old birds, I am inclined to think, leave the United
States a month or three weeks before the young, some of which linger in
the deep swamps of the States of Mississippi and Louisiana until the
beginning of November.
MUSCÍCAPA RUTICILLA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 236.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p. 473—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 68.
AMERICAN REDSTART, MUSCÍCAPA RUTICILLA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. i. p. 103,
PL vi. fig. 6. adult male; vol. v. p. 119. PL 4 5 , fig. 2 , young.—-Lath. Synops.
vol. iv. p. 427-
Adult Male. Plate XL. Fig. 1.
Bill of ordinary length, depressed at the base, compressed toward the
tip, acute; upper mandible slightly notched, and deflected at the tip ;
lower straight. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear. Head and neck of moderate
size. Body rather slender. Feet moderately long, slender ; tarsus
covered with short scutella before, with a longitudinal keeled plate behind,
longer than the middle toe ; toes slender, free ; claws small, weak,
slightly arched, compressed, acute.