96 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



" The woosel and the throstle cock chief music of our May." 

 The woosel is evidently a corruption of ousel. 



In some parts of Germany the backbird is kept in a 

 cage and hung outside the house as a protection against 

 lightning. Swainson relates a legend of St. Kevin, when 

 that saint, praying in the Temple of the Rock at Glenda- 

 lough, with outstretched hand, a blackbird laid its eggs in 

 the palm, and the compassionate saint never removed his 

 hand until the eggs were hatched ! ! 



Montgomery well describes the blackbird's notes : 



" Then, with simple swell and full, 

 Breaking beautiful through all, 

 Let thy pan-like pipe repeat 

 Few notes, but sweet." 



THE NIGHTINGALE. 



From the middle of April till leafy June, in the thickets 

 around and about our southern rivers, we may often hear, 

 but seldom see, the so-called queen of song, the NIGHTINGALE 

 (Daulias luscinia family Sylviidce) ; but whenever heard, its 

 song arrests the attention and fascinates the ear of all ; no 

 bird sings forth its notes with greater force or with more 

 thrilling cadences. Izaak Walton says: "She breathes such 

 sweet music out of her little intermittent throat, that it might 

 make mankind to think that miracles have not ceased." 



John Hunter found that the muscles of the larynx of 

 the cock nightingale were stronger and more fully developed 

 than any other bird of its size. 



The male bird arrives some fourteen days before the 

 female, and when undisturbed, sings almost as much in the 

 daytime as at night ; occasionally one may be observed 

 sitting on a bare branch in the brake, sending forth a 

 volume of rich notes. George Gascoigne endeavoured to 

 give them in words : 



"Yet never hearde I such another note 

 Terew, terew ; and thus she gan to plaine 

 Most piteously, which made my heart to grieve. 

 Her second note was fy-fy, fy-fy-fy, 



