ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OP THE NIGHTINGALE. 31 



manner of the Wood Lark's lay ; yet each note — save one or two — 

 are extremely different. Some few of the clear, silvery, dulcet 

 warblinjrs of that charming songster, are, indeed, fully equal 

 to any of those of the Nightingale ; but, altogether, its song is 

 inferior, being too much uttered in a single plaintive key. The 

 Nightingale has no flourishing liquid melody, like the pure sweet 

 note of the Blackcap, nor does he try to emulate the rich, deep, 

 flute-like music of the Blackbird and Garden Warbler ; but he ex- 

 cites our admiration by the wonderful variety of his tones, by that 

 perfect command and compass of his rich and powerful voice, which 

 enables him, without seeming effort, to articulate the most delicate 

 and complex passages ; he moves our wonder — " by the infinitude 

 of resources of his incomparable organ — brilliant bursts, lively, deli- 

 cate trills, vollies of rapid notes whose distinctness equals their vo- 

 lubility ; an internal, dull murmur — not itself pleasing to the ear, 

 but very fit to enhance the brilliancy of the more agreeable strains ; 

 sudden and rapid runs, articulated with strength, and even a taste- 

 ful ruggedness, — plaintive accents, and tender cadences."* No dif- 

 ficult combination of sound would seem too much for him — for a 

 few short weeks he literally overflows with song ; the woods by 

 night are vocal with his melody, and he leads the band of feathered 

 choristers by day. 



Supposed difficulty of studying the Nightingale^ s wild habits. — 

 It is observed, by an able and very eloquent writer of the present 

 day, that, " from their retiring disposition, the habits of Nightin- 

 gales, in a state of nature, must always be to a very considerable 

 extent conjectural ; because, instead of being able to follow thera 

 in the details of their history, it is not very easy to see the same 

 individual twice." Now, I am by no means disposed to accede^ 

 altogether, to this remark of Mr. Mudie ; and, in fact, it will not 

 apply even where the birds are plentiful, much less where the spe- 

 cies is comparatively rare. My endeavour, therefore, in the pre- 

 sent essay, will be, to treat very fully, and in detail, of all that relates 

 to Philomel as a British bird ; hoping that, in my attempts to elu- 

 cidate completely, and in all its bearings, the natural history of this 

 celebrated songster, I may not be considered tedious, prolix, or ver- 

 bose. 



Its general expression and attitude, and mode of progression on 

 the ground. — I have already endeavoured to describe the character 

 and style of its delightful music — the quality for which, in all ages, 



* Buffon. 



