VOL. VI.] SOME NOTES ON NIGHTINGALES. 175 



mate of the former bird had been encouraging him to 

 resume his song whenever he stopped. It may have been, 

 however, an individual pecuharity of the song of that 

 particular male. 



The sanitation of the nest is carried out by both 

 sexes after feeding the young, if it is required. When 

 the young are small the fseces at the bottom of the 

 nest are eaten by the parent, the bird's head and neck 



AFTER CLEANING THE NEST. 



{Photographed by N. F. Ticehurst.) 



being hidden by the wall of the nest during the process. 

 When the young are larger (6th day onwards) the faeces 

 are received by the parent, as in many other species, on 

 the rim of the nest or straight from the body of the 

 young, being then either swalloAved or carried away 

 to a distance and dropped. 



The young birds feather with great rapidity : the 

 quills appear on the fourth day and already show 



