COMMON BRITISH BIRDS 31 



Distinguishing Feature. ~ In walking or swimming, 

 the Moorhen, especially if conscious of being watched, 

 keeps up a constant flicking of the short tail showing 

 distinctly the pure white on the sides of under tail- 

 coverts, the head bobbing forward in little jerks at the 

 same time. The white marks on wings, sides of body, 

 and under tail-coverts show up distinctly. 



Nest. Among reeds or rushes, made of dead rushes, 



&c. 



Eggs. Buff-white, with red-brown and purple spots. 



Haunts. Ponds and streams, as well as larger lakes 

 and rivers. 



NIGHTINGALE. (S.M. Thrushes.) 



Size. Sparrow. 



Colour. Olive-brown, paler below. 



Note. It is probably by the song that the Nightingale 

 is generally recognized, and there is hardly need for me 

 to speak of its exceeding beauty. It must be noted that 

 every bird heard singing in the night is not necessarily a 

 Nightingale, as other birds, the Sedge Warbler for 

 instance, sing at night. However, once the Nightingale 

 has been heard, there is no mistaking its song for that at 

 any other species. 



Distinguishing Feature. The song. 



N:ift. In thick undergrowth, often partly mad of 

 dried leaves. 



Eggs. Olive-brown. 



Haunts. Locally distributed. It should be noted 

 that the Nightingale has a distinctly limited range in 

 the British Isles. It does not occur in Ireland or 

 Scotland, and in Wales Glamorganshire appears to be 

 the only county where it is regularly recorded. In 

 England the Nightingale is found in the southern, 

 midland and eastern counties, as far north as York- 

 shire. Cheshire is only occasionally visite' 1 , while in 

 Shropshire .it practically keeps to the valley of the 

 Severn. Cornwall is left out altogether, so that the 

 western limit of this beautiful songster's range is 

 reached in Devonshire and the counties bordering 

 on Wales, and Cheshire and the south of Yorkshire 

 in the North. In those districts visited by the 

 Nightingale, the song may usually be heard from the 

 end of April to the first week in June. Of course, 

 occasionally birds are met with outside the usual dis- 



