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1843, another in Yorkshire in 1852, and a third in Cheshire in 

 1890. The second and third instances are, however, by no means 

 free from doubt, so that there is really only one well -authenticated 

 occurrence. The alleged occurrence of the blue thrush {Monticola. or 

 PetropJiila, cyaiieus) in Ireland in 1866 is incorrect. 



Nig-htingale ^" ^^^^ ^^^^ °^ ^"^^ ^ familiar bird as the nightingale 

 (Daulias luscinia). '^ ^^ great pity that there should be great difference 

 of opinion among ornithologists with regard to its 

 proper scientific name, the difference of opinion extending to both 

 the generic and the specific title. In the older works on British birds 

 the species is described as PJiilo- 

 viela hisciiiia, and it is much to be 

 regretted that this classic title could 

 not have been retained for such a 

 classic songster. Later on the 

 name Daulias luscinia was substi- 

 tuted on account of priority ; the 

 eastern nightingale being desig- 

 nated Daulias pJiikvnela. Other 

 writers, on the contrary, preferred 

 to use the generic name Luscinia in 

 place of Daulias ; but a still more 

 drastic change was the substitution 

 of the generic name Aedon for each 

 of these, and the transference of the 

 specific name luscinia from the 



western to the eastern species ; the former thus becoming Aedon 

 viegarhyncha, and the latter Addon luscinia. Without any expression 

 of opinion as to the merits of the case, it seems advisable to retain 

 Daulias luscinia for the western, and D. philoniela for the eastern bird. 



The nightingale is our first representative of the second subfamily 

 of the thrush group, which also includes the redbreast and redstart, and 

 is known as the Ruticillin.-e. In their general characters these birds, 

 which are of smaller size than most thrushes, are closely related to the 

 thrushes and blackbirds, and serve to connect the latter with the chat 

 group. All the members of the present group are comparatively long- 

 legged birds, well adapted for running on the ground, where they obtain 

 most of their food, which consists almost entirely of insects and other 

 invertebrate creatures. Unlike the thrush group, they do not go about 

 in parties; and while a large number of the species are migratory, others 



NIGHTINGALE. 



