Plate CCCCXXXIV. Fig. 2. Male.
Wings short, the second quill longest; tail of moderate length, even;
general colour of upper parts light greenish-brown; wings and tail
dark olive-brown, the outer feathers of the latter with a terminal
white spot on the inner web; a narrow white ring surrounding the eye;
two bands of dull white on the wing; sides of the head and neck
greenish-yellow, the rest of the lower parts pale yellow, gradually
fading into white behind.
_Male_, 5, 8-2/8.
Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Exceedingly rare. Migratory.
Small-headed Flycatcher, Muscicapa minuta, Wils. Amer. Orn. v.
vi. p. 62.
Sylvia minuta, Bonap. Syn. p. 86.
Small-headed Sylvan Flycatcher, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 296.
68. 15. Muscicapa Ruticilla, Linn. Redstart Flycatcher.--American
Redstart.
Plate XL. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Female.
Second and third quills equal and longest, fourth longer than first;
tail rounded. Male with the head, neck all round, fore part of breast,
and back, glossy bluish-black; sides of the breast, lower
wing-coverts, a patch on the wings formed by the margins of the
primaries and the basal half of most of the secondaries, together with
three-fourths of both webs of the outer four tail-feathers on each
side, and the outer web of the next, bright orange-red; abdomen and
lower tail-coverts white. Female with the upper parts yellowish-brown,
the head grey, the quills greyish-brown, the tail darker, the parts
yellow which in the male are bright orange; the rest of the lower
parts white, tinged with yellow. Young similar to the female, more
grey above, and with less yellow beneath.
_Male_, 5, 6-1/2. _Female._
Throughout the United States. Abundant. Migratory.
American Redstart, Muscicapa Ruticilla, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i.
p. 103.
Muscicapa Ruticilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 68.
American Redstart, Muscicapa Ruticilla, Aud. Amer. Orn. v. i.
p. 202; v. v. p. 428.
American Redstart, Muscicapa Ruticilla, Nutt. Man. v. i. p.
291.
GENUS V. PTILOGONYS, Swains. PTILOGONYS.
Bill short, rather strong, somewhat triangular, depressed at the base,
a little compressed at the end; upper mandible with the dorsal line
convex at the end, the nasal groove wide, the sides convex toward the
end, with a distinct notch, the tip short, rather obtuse; lower
mandible with the angle rather long and wide, the dorsal line
ascending and convex, the sides convex toward the end, the tip small,
with a slight notch behind. Nostrils linear, oblong, partially
concealed by the feathers. Head ovato-oblong; neck rather short; body
slender. Feet short, and rather slender; tarsus shorter than the
middle toe with its claw, compressed, covered anteriorly with a long
plate and three inferior scutella; toes free, the outer only adherent
at the base; hind toe rather large, stouter, outer a little longer
than inner; claws moderate, arched, much compressed, laterally
grooved, acute. Plumage soft and blended; slight bristles at the base
of the upper mandible, and the feathers in the angle of the lower jaw
bristle-tipped and curved forward. Wings long, rounded; first quill
very small, fourth longest. Tail very long, straight, emarginate, and
rounded, of twelve feathers.
This genus seems to connect the Thrushes with the Flycatchers.