THE IMMORTAL NIGHTINGALE 245 



That man's persecution tells seriously on the species 

 may be seen from what has happened on the Continent, 

 even in countries where the hateful custom of eating 

 nightingales with all small birds is unknown, but where 

 it is greatly sought after as a cage bird. Thus, in 

 Southern Germany the nightingales have been de- 

 creasing for very many years and are now generally 

 rare and have been wholly extirpated in many parts. 

 With us, too, the drain on the species has been too 

 heavy ; it is, or has been, a double drain — that of birds'- 

 nesting boys and of the bird-catchers. 



With regard to the first, there is unfortunately no 

 sentiment of superstition concerning the nightingale 

 as in the case of his cousin, the redbreast — "yellow 

 autumn's nightingale," as it was beautifully called 

 by one of the Elizabethan poets. How effective 

 such a sentiment can be I have witnessed scores of times 

 when I have found that even the most thorough-paced 

 nest-takers among the village children are accustomed 

 to spare the robin, because as they say something 

 bad will happen to them, or their hand will wither up, 

 if they harry its nest. The nightingale's eggs, like 

 those of the throstle and shufflewing and Peggie white- 

 throat, are taken without a qualm ; they are, indeed, 

 more sought after than others on account of their 

 beauty and unusual colouring and because they are 

 less common. 



I believe that the increase of the birds each summer 

 would be about a third more than it is but for the loss 

 from this cause alone. 



