NIGHTINGALE. INSESSORES. PHILOMELA. 207 



eastern counties, but only extends to the west as far as De- 

 vonshire. Its northern boundary appears to be the neigh- 

 bourhood of Doncaster in Yorkshire, as scarcely any well- 

 authenticated instances are produced of its appearance be- 

 yond that town. Some peculiarity as to the food most con- 

 genial to it, or some hitherto undiscovered circumstance in 

 its economy, must, without doubt, be the cause of the partial 

 distribution, not only of this, but of other species. It can- 

 not, in the present bird, be attributed entirely to climate, as 

 Nightingales are found in countries situated farther to the 

 north than England ; being common in Sweden, and in the 

 northern parts of Germany. 



It is of very shy disposition, frequenting woods rank with 

 undergrowth, close thickets, thorn-brakes and hedges, and is 

 seldom seen ; the place of its retreat being only discovered 

 from its song. In the combined qualities of variety, richness, 

 and power, this song is unrivalled, and its effect is still fur- 

 ther increased by the chosen hour of its utterance, during the 

 silence of a calm summer's night. Its nest is formed upon Nest, &c. 

 the ground, of withered oak-leaves, and lined with dry grass. 

 It lays from four to six eggs, of a plain yellowish-brown. 

 The food of the Nightingale consists chiefly of insects and Food, 

 their larvae ; to which may be added berries and fruit. 



From the observations of MONTAGU it appears, that the 

 young birds are principally fed with small green caterpillars, 

 probably the larvae of some moth ; but perhaps that of a ten- 

 thredo, peculiar to certain localities. After rearing its pro- 

 geny, and recruiting for a short time its strength, after the 

 performance of its parental duties, on the first approach of 

 autumn, it departs from our shores for a warmer and more 

 congenial climates. Egypt and Syria appear to be its chief 

 retreats during our winter, at which time it has been re- 

 marked, in the first of these countries, to be plentiful in the 

 thickets of the Delta, but has never been known to sing, ut- 

 tering only the common alarm-note, so frequently heard in 

 those districts of England where it abounds. 



