THE NIGHTINGALE 25 



of nightingale : ihc songster of the night.) P]vcry tlnng in 

 this bird betrays an artist's temperament, every thing, 

 even the refmed arrangement of its nest, composed out- 

 wardly of leaves that are superposed like the petals of a 

 rose, and lined on the inside with long, slender, narrow 

 blades of grass, artistically interwoven. The female night- 

 ingale lays three or five shining, greenish brown eggs ; 

 while she is performing the office of brooding the male 

 is perched on a neighbouring tree, charming the long- 

 hours of her sitting with exquisite melodies. 



It is not the performance of a skilful and cold virtuoso, 

 but the passionate hymn of a fiery, voluptuous soul. The 

 Germans, who are apt to be pedantic even in poetry, have 

 tried to transcribe the song of the nightingale and one of 

 their learned ornithologists, M. Bechtein, has made a syl- 

 labic notation of it. This is like trying to give and idea of 

 the perfume of the rose by means of a chemical formula. 

 Why attempt to render by insufficient human sounds that 

 divine strain that every one has heard ? 



This ever varying, masterly melody is truly enchant- 

 ing. It expresses every emotion : melancholy and joy , 

 tenderness and passion. The song begins with some rapid, 

 thrilling trills; then it changes slowly into a coaxing, 

 tender lullaby, like an appeal to love ; then the strain is 

 broken by two deep, grave notes which die away like 

 long sighs; then, again suddenly the tone of the artist 

 changes : brillanti, trills, staccati, sparkling, sonorous 



