THE SPARROW KIND. 147 



land, Ireland, or North Wales. They frequent thick hedges and low 

 coppices, and generally keep in the middle of the bush, so that they 

 are rarely seen. They begin their song in the evening, and general!) 

 continue it for the whole night. For weeks together, if undisturbed, 

 they sit upon the same tree; and Shakespeare rightly describes the 

 nightingale sitting nightly in the same place, which I have frequently 

 observed she seldom departs from. 



From Pliny's description, we should be led to believe this bird pos- 

 sessed of a persevering strain ; but, though it is in fact so with the 

 nightingale in Italy, yet in our hedges in England the little songstress 

 is by no means so liberal of her music. Her note is soft, various, and 

 interrupted ; she seldom holds it without a pause above the time that 

 one can count twenty. The nightingale's pausing song would be the 

 proper epithet for this bird's music with us, which is more pleasing 

 than the warbling of any other birds, because it is heard at a time 

 when all the rest are silent. 



In the beginning of May, the nightingale prepares to make its nest, 

 which is formed of the leaves of trees, straw, and moss. The nest 

 being very eagerly sought after, is as cunningly secreted ; so that 

 but very few of them are found by the boys when they go upon these 

 pursuits. It is built at the bottom of hedges, where the bushes are 

 thickest and best covered. While the female continues sitting, the 

 male at a good distance, but always within hearing, cheers the pati- 

 ent hour with his voice, and, by the short interruption of his song, 

 often gives her warning of approaching danger. She lays four or five 

 eggs; of which but a part in our cold climate come to maturity. 



The delicacy, or rather the fame, of this bird's music, has induced 

 many to abridge its liberty to be secured of its song. Indeed, the 

 greatest part of what has been written concerning it in our country, 

 consists in directions how to manage it for domestic singing ; while 

 the history of the bird is confined to dry receipts or fitting it to the 

 cage. Its song however, in captivity, is not so very alluring ; and 

 the tyranny of taking it from those hedges where only it is most pleas- 

 ing, still more depreciates its imprisoned efforts. Gesner assures us, 

 that it is not only the most agreeable songster in a cage, but that it is 

 possessed of a most admirable faculty of talking. He tells the follow- 

 ing story in proof of his assertion, which he says was communicated 

 to him by a friend. "Whilst I was at Ratisbon," says his corres- 

 pondent. " I put up at an inn, the sign of the Golden Crown, where 

 my host had three nightingales. What I am going to repeat is won 

 derful, almost incredible, and yet is true. The nightingales were 

 placed separately, so that each was shut up by itself in a dark cage 

 It happened at that time, being the spring of the year, when those 

 birds are wont to sing indefatigably, that I could sleep but very little 

 a.l night. It was usual then about midnight, when there was no noise 

 in the house, but all still, to hear the two nightingales jangling and 

 talking with each other, and plainly imitating men's discourses. For 

 my part I was almost astonished with wonder, for at this time, when 

 all was quiet else, they held conference together, and repeated what- 

 ever they had heard among the guests by day. Those two of them 

 f hat were most notable, and masters of this art, were scarce ten feet 

 dis<ant from another The third hung more remote, so that I 



