THE NIGHTINGALES SONG \\ 



while realising how beautiful was night under such 

 conditions. What mellowness and even pathos 

 touched with melancholy he put into his notes ! 

 One was especially striking in its charm, this being 

 the long-drawn whistle. Starting softly, the singer 

 gradually rose to each note, about six in all, with 

 perfect gradation of tone until he had reached the 

 very height of artistic effect ; then followed what 

 some have termed the "bubbling" notes, these being 

 followed by a few harsher ones, having in them 

 but little music ; but which still only tended to 

 make the others to appear the more striking in 

 their musical effect. 



How different the song is to us at night when 

 the woodland is free from other bird music, as 

 compared to the same song when heard during 

 the day ! Then one has to get close to the 

 Nightingale to hear to any advantage, owing to 

 more humble rival warblers chattering and chirp- 

 ing to keep him company. 



When in early youth I first heard the Nightin- 

 gale I longed to see a bird which could give forth 

 such music. I pictured the singer as being large 

 and clothed in fine feathers, so that astonishment 

 was excited when the nightingale of real life was 

 pointed out. It seemed hard, indeed, to believe 

 that so small a creature could sing so sweetly as 



