40 OUR SUMMER MIGRANTS. 



cannot be doubted, however, that this was the 

 result of accident rather than design ; and Mr. 

 Hewitson, in his " Eggs of British Birds," has 

 adduced two similar instances in the case of the 

 Hedge Sparrow. 



The nest of the Nightingale is a very loosely- 

 made structure, composed for the greater part 

 of dead leaves, and placed upon a hedge bank, 

 generally at the root of some stout shrub or 

 thorn. The eggs, usually five in number, are, 

 like the bird itself, of a plain olive-brown 

 colour. The young Nightingales are spotted 

 like young Robins, having the feathers of the 

 upper portions of the plumage tipped with buff 

 colour. In some respects the Nightingale assi- 

 milates very much in habits to the Robin ; and 

 advantage has been taken of this in localities 

 where the Nightingale is unknown to introduce 

 its eggs into the nests of Robins, with a view to 

 having the young reared in the neighbourhood, 

 and so induced to return to it. But although, 

 as regards hatching and rearing, the plan has 

 been successful, the birds have never returned 



