38 

 THE NIGHTINGALE.^ 



Sylvia Luscinia. 



„ Night from her ebon throne stoops down to listen 

 To this, the sweetest songster of the grove : 

 And pulses thrill, and eyes with rapture giisten, 

 As forth she pours her plaintive song of love." 



Description, its length is five inches. The 

 top of the head and back is of a grayish brown, breast 

 ash gray, more light on the belly, and throat white. 

 Wings and tail dark brown. This bird is decidedly the 

 most melodious of all singing birds. 



The compass, flexibility, prodigious variety, and har- 

 mony of his voice, make it the greatest favorite of the 



* To show the value that was laid upon the Nichtingale 

 by the inhabitants of some of the Rhinish provincess, accord- 

 ing to the Cologne Gazette^ the following ordinance was issued 

 a few years ago by the Prussian Minister of the interior, 

 complying with a petition from the inhabitants of these pro- 

 vinces : — 



„ After the publication of these presents, it is forbidden to 

 catch nightingales, under the penalty of a fine of five thalers 

 or eight days imprisonment. Whoever keeps, or wishes to 

 keep in a cage a nightingale, brought from abroad, is bound 

 to give information of it, within eight days, to the police, and 

 to pay, for the benefit of the poor, five thalers yearly. Who- 

 ever shall neglect to make this declaration annually, and pay 

 the said tax, shall be liable to a fine of ten thalers, or impris- 

 onment for fifty days." 



