THE NIGHTINGALE AND ITS HAUNTS 67 



cover of such evergreens as the firs and alder, interspersed with taller 

 and pines, beloved of the tits and gold- oaks, which are a characteristic form 

 crests, and the stuffed, dense prickle- of woodland in the southern counties, 

 bushes of an unmixed gorse-cover, and are technically known as " cop- 

 the favourite fastness of so many pice with standards." The copse- 

 chats and linnets and spray-poised wood is cut at regular intervals of 

 yellowhammers. It is the " green from half a dozen to a dozen years ; 

 shade " of the poet that the nightin- and as soon as the new shoots of two 

 gale truly loves a shade not thick- or three seasons have begun to over- 

 spread and dark, but shed in hazy shadow the first great sheets of prim- 

 gold by the tender verdure of clean roses which spring up on the very 

 undergrowth and bushes of middle heels of the woodcutter, for the rest 

 height, which so mingle the sunlight of the copse's term of growth it is a 

 and the shadow between them that thronged home of the nightingales, 

 the place is as full of coolness as of Wind-plucked beneath the bright 

 flowers. Often, where the lower spring sun, the spotted gold of the 

 brushwood is topped by forest timber thicket seems to mingle in an intensity 

 standing in airy order, the nightingale of gladness with their throbbing song, 

 will mount for song, both by day and and the deep drifts of bluebells and 

 night, into the more open boughs of starry stitchwort, red campion and 

 oak or beech or elm, a little above yellow dead-nettle and lilac-spotted 

 the thicket ; but although it is not orchises, are alive and mysterious with 

 hard to steal a view of him, absorbed the fascination of their nesting life, 

 in the passion of song, with raised Built always on or very near the 

 throat pulsing at every burst, and ground among the fresh spring under- 

 feet firmly stayed upon the bough, growth, the loose, leaf-packed nest 

 he is ready at slight alarm to check has often a remarkable beauty of 

 his call, and drop back swift and silent situation and surroundings ; the blue- 

 into the depths of the concealing bells swinging in the soft May wind 

 underworld, where his nest is hidden, change the glossy lights on the bur- 

 Of all such green and flowery laby- nished olive eggs beneath them, and 

 rinths with emerging watch-towers of the apple-blossom drifts down beside 

 song, the nightingale most loves those the sitting bird from the foam-crowned 

 deep copses of hazel and blackthorn branches of some wild and ancient 



