THE MASTER SINGER 59 



The nightingale is recognised at once by the chestnut- 

 brown of his upper parts ; the chin and throat are 

 greyish white, the breast is a light greyish brown. The 

 nest is on the ground, or in a low bush, of dried 

 grasses, leaves, and roots ; the beautiful eggs are of 

 dull olive hue. 



To set down the nightingale's song in words which 

 can express the purity and brilliance of the notes is an 

 impossible task which many have attempted : a Ger- 

 man version is the most ingenious, and though it reads 

 like gibberish, does recall to those who know well the 

 nightingale's voice some of his passages. The prelude 

 to the song is often three or four long-drawn, passionate 

 whistles ; these are expressed by the words 



Tiuu tiuu tiuu tiuu. 

 Then the song bursts out : 



Spe tiu squa, 



Tio, tio tio tio tio tio tio tio tix, 



Qutio qutio qutio qutio, 



Zquo zquo zquo zquo, 



Tzu tzu tzu tzu tzu tzu tzu tzu tzu tzi, 



Quorror tiu squa pipiqiiisi, 



Zozozozozozozozozozozozo zirrhading ! 



And so it goes on, to three times this length : " Lu lu 

 lu lu ly ly ly ly li li li li," and, " qi qi qi jo jo jo 

 jojojo qi," and " Higai gai gai gai gai gai giagiagiagia," 

 one long, gurgling passage being represented by the 

 extraordinary -looking line : 



Hezezezezezezezezezezezezezezezezezeze quarrhozehoi. 



