264 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



reply in more feeble strains." He adds, what is by 

 no means the fact, that " the nightingale, when he 

 first arrives in spring, is silent, begins with faltering, 

 infrequent airs, and it is not till the dam sits on her 

 eggs that he pours out the warm melody of his heart : 

 then he relieves and soothes her tedious incubation ; 

 then he redoubles his caresses, and warbles with 

 deeper pathos*.' 7 On the contrary, we uniformly 

 observe, among the innumerable nightingales which 

 annually arrive in our neighbourhood in spring, that, 

 the males sing out in as full clear notes on their first 

 appearance (usually many days before the arrival of 

 the females) as they ever do afterwards f. Buffon 

 concludes that his opinion derives additional support 

 from the circumstance of song-birds becoming silent, 

 or their notes being less sweet, after the breeding 

 season is over J. 



Another naturalist of eminence, Colonel Mon- 

 tagu, is more circumstantial in his arguments for the 

 same opinion, and though we do not agree altogether 

 with his explanations, the greater number of his facts 

 are unquestionable. " The males of song-birds," he 

 says, *' and many others, do not in general search for 

 the female ; but, on the contrary, their business in the 

 spring is to perch on some conspicuous spot, breath- 

 ing out their full notes, which, by instinct, the female 

 knows, and repairs to the spot to choose her mate. 

 This is particularly verified with respect to the sum- 

 mer-birds of passage. The nightingale, and most of 

 its genus, although timid and shy to a great degree, 

 mount aloft, and incessantly pour forth their strains, 

 each seemingly vying in its love-laboured song before 

 the females arrive. No sooner do they make their 

 appearance than dreadful battles ensue, and their 



* Oiseaux, Intr. f J. R. 



J Oiseaux, as above. 



