NIGHTINGALE. 8 1 



At the same time, whilst greatly admiring this 

 wonderful song, I think that there is great truth in the 

 criticism of Mr. W. Hudson in his British Birds, when 

 he says : " Beautiful, nay, perfect, the song may be; but 

 one misses from it that something of human feeling 

 which makes the imperfect songs so enchanting the 

 overflowing gladness of the Lark ; the wildness of the 

 Blackcap; the airy, delicate tenderness of the Willow 

 Wren ; and the serene happiness of the Blackbird." 



Mr. Frank Buckland, in his Notes to White's Selborne y 

 gives Mr. Davy's reading of the song of the Nightingale, 

 as follows : 



" It commences with * wheeting ' and ' kurring/ which 

 may be thus written : 



4 Wheet, wheet, kurr, k-u-u-r-r.' 



The song after that commences : 



4 Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, 

 J U S j"g Jug, Jug, jug, 

 Swot, swot, swot, swotty.' 



They lie a long time on these notes, finishing up with 

 'swotting' and 'kurring.' The 'sweet' is pronounced 

 in a plaintive manner; the 'jug' is quick, like a dog 

 barking." 



The call-note " sweet " is much akin to the " whit " of 

 the Wood Warbler and Willow Warbler, and the 

 "hoo-id" of the Chiff-chaff, but more rapid, and is 

 always in the Nightingale followed by a warning " kur," 

 which somewhat reminds me of the Whitethroat's 

 utterances. 



The Nightingale sings by day as well as by night ; 

 but in the multitude of songsters in May and June his 



G 



