EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 185 



circle, or in the birch-regions at high elevations of more southerly 

 climes, both in Europe and Asia ; in the latter continent it breeds 

 as far south as the Himalayas, and occasionally crosses Bering 

 Straits into Alaska. 



The nest is not unlike that of a Robin. The hole is well 

 filled with dry grass and roots, and at the far end a neat deep cup 

 is formed, lined with fine roots and hair. It is almost impossible 

 to find the nest, except by accidentally frightening off the bird, and 

 even then it often takes some time, so carefully is it concealed. 



The eggs are from five to six in number, and are laid about the 

 middle of June. They are greenish-blue, more or less distinctly 

 marbled with pale reddish-brown, and are very similar to the eggs 

 of the Nightingale. They may be described as miniature eggs of 

 the Redwing. They measure from - 8 to 0*69 inch in length, and 

 from 0'56 to 0"53 inch in breadth. 



THE NIGHTINGALE. 



(Erithacus luscinia.)* 



Plate 51, Figs. 10, 11. 



The Nightingale is a common summer visitor to all the counties 

 of England, except those in the north and west, being compara- 

 tively rare in South Yorkshire, Shropshire, and East Devon, which 

 may be considered the limits of its range in our islands. It is 

 pretty generally distributed on the Continent of Europe during the 

 breeding-season south of Scandinavia and west of Russia, only 

 occurring in the latter country accidentally. It passes through 

 North Africa on migration, and a few remain to breed in Algeria. 



The nest is a large structure loosely put together outside, but 

 neatly finished. It is composed externally of dry grass, sometimes 

 fine flags and rushes, and strips of withered bark, together with 

 dead leaves of the oak, the hawthorn, and the birch, usually the 

 former. The nest cavity, which is deep and round, is lined with 

 fine grasses, dry rootlets, sometimes with horse-hair, and more 

 rarely with vegetable down. 



The eggs of the Nightingale are four or five in number, usually 

 the latter, and sometimes as many as six have been found. There 

 appear to be two types of the egg of this bird — a rich olive- 



* Dunlins luscinia — Saunders, Manual, p. 39; Sharpe, Handb., I., p. 271. 



