. The naturalist's library; containing scientific and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects; . part of the winter. 1 Sylvia rubecola Lath. AVES —REDSTART. 515 During the spring, the robin haunts the wood, the grove, and the garden-and retires to the thickest and shadiest hedge-rows to breed in, where its nestis usually placed among the roots of trees, in some concealed spot near theground. In winter it endeavors to support itself, by chirping round thewarm habitations of mankind, and by coming into those shelters where therigor of the season is artificial
. The naturalist's library; containing scientific and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects; . part of the winter. 1 Sylvia rubecola Lath. AVES —REDSTART. 515 During the spring, the robin haunts the wood, the grove, and the garden-and retires to the thickest and shadiest hedge-rows to breed in, where its nestis usually placed among the roots of trees, in some concealed spot near theground. In winter it endeavors to support itself, by chirping round thewarm habitations of mankind, and by coming into those shelters where therigor of the season is artificially expelled, and where insects are found in thegreatest numbers, attracted by the same cause. The female lays from fiveto seven eggs, of a dull white color, diversified with reddish streaks. In-sects and worms are the principal food of the redbreast. The latter it verydexterously renders fit to be eaten, by taking hold of the extremity of one inits beak, and beating it against the ground till the inside comes away, andthen repeating the operation with the other end, till the outer part is entirelycleansed. < THE This bird measures rather more than five inches in length. Its bill andeyes are black; its forehead is white; the cheeks, throat, fore part, and sidesof the neck, are black, which color extends over each eye; the crown of thehead, hinder part of the neck, and the back, are of a deep blue gray; in somesubjects, probably old ones, this gray is almost black ; its breast, rump, andsides are of a fine glowing red, inclining to orange color, which extends toall the feathers of the tail, excepting the two middle ones, which are brown;the belly is white; the feet and claws are black. The female diners consi-derably from the male; her colors are not so vivid; the top of her head andback are of a gray ash color, and the chin is white. The redstart is migratory; it appears about the middle of April, and de-parts in the latter end of September, or beginning of Octo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidnaturalistsl, bookyear1851
