124 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



Si^ixwortli, and otlier neiglibouring places. Though 

 frequenting the thick cover of onr groves and shrub- 

 beries, the Nightingale is by no means a shy bird, at 

 least on its first arrival, but sings fearlessly throughout 

 the day in the most exposed situations. In my own 

 garden, bordered on two sides by public roads, I have 

 known one sing at intervals throughout the day, on 

 the yet leafless branches of an almond tree, perfectly 

 indifferent to the voices and footsteps of the passers by ; 

 and on the 1st of May, 1864, a most exquisite songster 

 stationed himself on a small tree, in Mount Pleasant 

 lane, close to the footpath, where groups of Sunday 

 walkers, both morning and afternoon, stopped to listen 

 to its " sweet descants," and probably for the first time in 

 their lives saw, as well as heard, a nightingale. How 

 strange it seems that a bird, gifted with such wondrous 

 powers of voice, and such exquisite modulations, should 

 be also capable of uttering that harsh croak, which 

 later in the season bespeaks alarm for its young. No 

 one on first hearing that strange sound could possibly 

 guess its origin, or could fail to be astonished, as 

 I was myself, when I discovered the real author. I 

 have watched this species searching for insects in the 

 garden towards the middle of August, when it assumes 

 a much more nervous manner, listening like a thrush 

 with head inchned, to every passing sound, and progress- 

 ing by little quick runs, or more proj)erly speaking, a 

 succession of rapid hops. Whilst resting, however, it 

 has more the character of a large robin, the eye showing 

 bright and full, the wings slightly drooj)ing, and the 

 tail raised, or flirted up and down with the actions 

 of the body. The light colour of the breast, and the 

 bright reddish tint of the tail and tail coverts, at once 

 distinguish it from otlier birds even in the absence of 

 song. From personal enquiries in many instances, I 

 am convinced that in a large majority of cases the 



