136 SYNOPSIS AND ALPHABETICALAIND ES 
tr. NIGHTINGALE 
(Pages 23-31) 
Sylvia luscinia (one of the Dentirostres—toothed- 
beaked birds—as the warblers, wagtails, stonechat, 
thrush, blackbird, pipit, etc.). Owing to the unattract- 
iveness of the plumage, which is merely brown on the 
back and greyish-white on the throat, chest, and under 
part of the body, these birds are easily overlooked. 
Male and female almost indistinguishable. Male only 
sings. To hear them sing (which they do both by day 
as well as by night; hence name, Anglo-Saxon nthte- 
gale; ntht, might, and galan to sing), the woodland 
haunts of a pair or community must be known and 
they must be noiselessly approached. They sing from 
late April! to early June during nest building and 
incubation time, after which they sing little, if at all. 
They arrive early in April, the males preceding the 
females by a few days, and leave in July or August. 
Length: About 7 inches. Flight: Rather heavy and 
short. Notes: Various, soft and very melodious, of a 
bubbling, gurgling, or warbling character, some notes 
sounding as if emitted from a reed. (The throat 
expands much during song.) Food: Insects and 
available ripe fruits. Nature: Defends itself, place 
of abode and nests fiercely against its own species or 
1 Sometimes even earlier. 
