62 



BRITISH BIRDS 



Nightingale. 

 Daulias lusciniu. 



Upper plu- 

 mage uniform 

 brown tinged 

 with chestnut ; 

 tail rufous ; 

 under parts 

 greyish white ; 

 Hanks pale ash. 

 Length, six 

 inches and a 

 quarter. 



The nightin- 

 gale is the only 

 songster that 

 has been too 

 much lauded, 

 with the inevit- 

 able result that 

 its melody, 



when first heard, causes disappointment, and even incredulity. 

 More than once it has been my lot to call the attention of someone 

 who had not previously heard it to its song, at the same time 

 pointing out the bird ; and after a few moments of listening, he or 

 she has exclaimed, ' That the nightingale ! Why, it is only a 

 common-looking little bird, and its song, that so much fuss is 

 made about, is after all no better than that of any other little bird.' 

 And then it is perhaps added : 'I don't think the nightingale if 

 the bird you have shown me is the nightingale sings so well as 

 the thrush, or the blackbird, or the lark.' The song is, neverthe- 

 less, exceedingly beautiful ; its phrasing is more perfect than that of 

 any other British melodist ; and the voice has a combined strength, 

 purity, and brilliance probably without a parallel. On account of 

 these qualities, and of the fact that the song is frequently heard 

 in the night-time, when other voices are silent, the nightingale 



FIG. 26 NIGHTINGALE. ^ natural size. 



