NIGHTINGALE. 55 



is of annual occurrence. I only once knew of two pairj at 

 the same time, but I have not sought for them," To the 

 Hon. Pay an Dawnay we are indebted for the following 

 interesting communication relating to the Nightingale at 

 Beningborough and other places in the neighbourhood ; 

 writing in November 1880, he says " I have not heard a 

 Nightingale at Beningborough [eight miles N.W. of York] 

 for some years. The instance of one being heard for two 

 years here, some few years ago, arose from one being caught 

 in a small wood close to the railroad near Shipton, and being 

 brought to me as an unknown bird by the captor ; I found it 

 answered the description of a Nightingale, and turned it out 

 into the garden [at Beningborough]. The next year [1867], 

 one of the last days of May, 28th or 29th, I forget which, I 

 heard a Nightingale singing in a plantation about 300 yards 

 from the place I turned out the one brought to me the year 

 previous. This bird continued singing in June, for part of 

 that month ; other people heard it as well as myself. The 

 next year [1868] after this I heard a Nightingale in a small 

 wood, perhaps 100 yards from the place it sang in the year 

 before, but it did not sing long, or was taken or frightened. 

 This shows that they come to the same place again if it suits 

 them. One year we had three Nightingales singing, two in 

 Skelton Spring, and one in Overton Wood, but I have not 



heard of any lately I find out on inquiry that the 



Nightingale was brought to me in 1866, and was heard the 

 two following years, but never since that I am aware of close 



to this place There was one at Clifton, a suburb of 



York, in Mrs. Cattle's garden somewhat about the same 

 time, and she was so annoyed at the lot of people who came 

 late to hear it, that she got some birdcatcher to take it ; at 

 least this is what I was told ; I cannot say whether it is true 

 or not. The Rev. J. Overton told me of one in Sessay Wood 

 [eighteen miles N.W. of York], a few years ago [1875], that 

 people went to hear in the evening from Easingwold and 

 the neighbourhood. Mr. Overton is now dead, so he cannot 

 be appealed to, but he knew the note of the Nightingale well, 



