40 



BRITISH BIRDS 



body, which give them somewhat the appearance of a 

 Wren, but the tail has a reddish shade, which serves 

 to distinguish them from any other bird. The young 

 females are rather larger in the nest, but there is very 

 little to distinguish the sexes from each other. 



The Nightingale is found wild in most parts of Europe, 

 but in England only in the south-eastern counties, while 

 he is quite unknown in Scotland and Irelanth He frequents 

 wooded places, and builds on or near the ground, usually 



M, ^ ^^^ l,^ 





TlIK NlGllTIN(i.\l. 



amid brambles, and not far from the trunk of a tree. 

 The nest is large, made of leaves outwardly, then grass, 

 and is neatly lined with grass and hair. The eggs are 

 usually five in number and are of an olive-green colour, 

 without spot or marking. As a rule, there is only one 

 brood during the season, but if the birds are disturbed 

 and their eggs or young are taken away before the latter 

 have left the nest, a second brood will generally be produced. 

 The old birds make a great noise, the female especially 

 scolding vehemently, when the nest is approached, and its 



