120 SYLVIAD^. 



liis movements, and liad not waited more tlian a minute, 

 when a Eeed Warbler flew to the Cuckoo, who, crouching 

 down with his "breast close to the rail, and fluttering his 

 wings, opened wide his orange-coloured mouth to receive 

 the insect his foster-mother had brought liim. This done, 

 the Reed Warbler flew away for a fresh supply of food. 

 The difference in the size of the two birds was great ; it was 

 like a pigmy feeding a giant. Wliile the Reed Warbler 

 was absent, the Cuckoo shuffled along the rail, and hopped 

 upon a slender jDost to which it was nailed, and which 

 projected about eight inches above the rail. The Reed 

 Warbler soon returned with more food, and alighted close 

 to the Cuckoo, but on the rail beneath him ; she then 

 began to stretch herself to the utmost to give him the 

 food, but was unable to reach the Cuckoo's mouth, who, 

 like a simpleton, threw his head back, Avith his mouth 

 wide open, as before. The Reed Warbler, by no means at 

 a loss, perched upon the Cuckoo's broad back, who, still 

 holding back his head, received in this singular way the 

 morsel brought for him." 



THE NIGHTII^GALE. 



PHILOMELA LUSCINIA. 



Upper plumage brown, tinged with red ; tail bright rust-red ; under plumage 

 dingy white; flanks pale ash colour. Length six and a quarter inches; breadth 

 nine and a half inches. Eggs uniform olive-brown. 



The southern, eastern, and some of the midland counties 

 of England, enjoy a privilege which is denied to the 

 northern and western — an annual visit, namel}^, from the 

 IS'ightingale. It is easy enough to understand why a 

 southern bird should bound its travels northwards by a 

 certain parallel, but -why it should keep aloof from Devon 

 and Cornwall, the climate of which approaches more 

 Closely to that of its favourite continental haunts than 



