THE NIGHTINGALE. 21 



This reminds me that the summer after "Joey" came 

 into my possession I thought I would try her in the 

 outdoor aviary, and accordingly hung up her cage 

 there one bright sunshiny morning. In the afternoon 

 she was not to be seen anywhere, and I concluded, 

 after a minute search, that she had escaped; but later 

 on I saw her emerging from behind some bushes where 

 she had, evidently, been hunting for spiders and other 

 insects, and as she then returned to her cage and 

 picked up some ants' eggs I perceived that I had been 

 needlessly alarmed about her, and thought she might 

 possibly make a match of it with an Accentor that 

 lived in the same place; but I had to take her away 

 after all, for I had a Starling in the same aviary, and 

 "Jacky Spotts" took a dislike to the Nightingale and 

 chased her about, not even permitting her to rest in 

 her own cage, into which he would follow her with 

 ruffled feathers and open beak, which was, to say the 

 least, very rude on the part of Spotty. 



Joey showed fight, I am bound to admit, but what 

 chance had a little mite like her against a great big 

 able-bodied fellow more than twice her size? None at 

 all : the contest was too unequal, and so, much to my 

 regret, I was obliged to take the Nightingale indoors 

 again and let her once more have the run of the 

 conservatory. 



Now concerning the song of the Nightingale? Well, 

 I must confess that it is very fine, full of melody, and 



