THE WARBLERS. 297 



Philomela, Bechst.), was not found in my neighbourhood, 

 but in the southern and south-eastern parts of Sweden, where 

 the localities are favourable, this bird is pretty common, 

 and in places, indeed, it may be said to be abundant. In 

 Denmark it is scarce. Migrates. 



The Nightingale common in England (S. Luscinia, Lath.) 

 is not an inhabitant, as it is believed, of the peninsula ; but 

 in Denmark it is not uncommon. 



As with other warblers, there are better and worse per- 

 formers amongst nightingales. The one distinguishes itself 

 in the one way, the other in a different manner. There are 

 virtuosi, whose voices and modulations embrace to perfec- 

 tion all the beauties of the rest. The nightingale, when 

 singing, evinces great self-love and jealousy, and will not 

 allow itself to be surpassed by a rival. When several are 

 therefore pouring forth their rich notes near to each other, 

 or in the same v oiler e, they will so exert their vocal 

 powers as to become quite hoarse. More than one instance 

 is on record, indeed, of its having burst a blood-vessel, and 

 falling at once to the ground as if seized with an attack 

 of apoplexy. M. Goetze, in his European fauna, relates an 

 instance somewhat to the point. 



11 One of my friends in Brunswick had for several years 

 one of these birds, which was amongst the most beautiful of 

 songsters. A Jew, who had learnt to imitate to perfection 

 the notes of the nightingale, exhibited his talents to the 

 public in that town. The Jew was challenged by the owner 

 to enter the lists with it, and accepted the invitation at a time 

 when it was singing away at its best. The Jew commenced 

 the nightingale chimed in ; the Jew raised his key, as did 

 also the bird ; the Jew took a still higher key, and the 



