40 NIGHTINGALE. 



southern provinces. From the Caucasus eastward to Turkestan and 

 Persia, is found a closely allied form, D. golzii — rather more olive- 

 coloured, with longer bill and tail ; while in Scandinavia, Denmark, 

 and Eastern Europe our bird is replaced by the rather larger 

 " Sprosser," D. philomela : — a distinct species, less russet in hue, 

 slightly spotted on the breast, and with a viimile bastard primary. 

 In autumn our Nightingale leaves Europe and even Asia Minor : 

 wintering as far south as Abyssinia and the Gold Coast. 



The nest, commenced early in May, is composed of dead leaves 

 of the oak and other trees, and is usually placed on or near the 

 ground in low underwood and close hedgerow bottoms — always on 

 the warmer side. In Spain I have found it fully five feet from the 

 ground, in the tops of broad hedges and the sides of clipped 

 cypress and myrtle trees. The 4-6 eggs are mostly of an olive- 

 brown, but some birds, which often return to the same place, lay 

 eggs of a blue-green mottled with reddish-brown, somewhat 

 resembling those of the Bluethroat : measurements "8 by "6 in. 

 The young are hatched in June ; after which the male discontinues 

 his melodious song — uttered hitherto by day as well as by night in 

 genial weather — and merely retains a harsh croak. Spiders, ants, 

 and small green caterpillars are the food of the nestlings, and in 

 July and August the young frequent fields planted with peas and 

 beans ; the adults live on worms, insects, ants' eggs, fruit and 

 berries, especially those of the elder. Favourite resorts are small 

 woods at no great distance from water and the coppices bordering 

 damp meadows. The Nightingale does not bear captivity well, yet 

 birds have been kept through the winter, and have even reared 

 young in confinement. The well-known song needs no description ; 

 the alarm-note being a wate, ivate, cur-cur. In August the young 

 take their departure, the old birds remaining till September to com- 

 plete their moult. Migration is supposed to be performed singly 

 and not in flocks; but Mr. T. J. Monk states that on April 13th, 

 1872, Nightingales were resting in numbers under the bathing- 

 machines along the whole length of the shore at Brighton. 



In the adult the upper parts are russet-brown shading into reddish- 

 chestnut on the tail-coverts and tail, the colour of the latter being 

 very noticeable in flight ; under parts greyish-white, turning to buff 

 on the flanks and breast ; bill, legs and feet brown. The sexes are 

 alike in plumage. Length 6-5 in. ; wing to tip of 3rd and longest 

 primary 3-35 in. The young in first plumage are darker, with 

 yellowish-brown shaft-streaks to the upper feathers and greyish- 

 brown bars on the under parts. 



