THE NIGHTINGALE. 231 



Mode of discoTering their nests. 



with my ears uttering such things as I have re- 

 lated. Neither yet can I of a sudden write all, 

 nor call to remembrance every particular that I 

 have heard." 



The nightingales frequent cool and shady 

 places, where there are little rivulets of water, 

 and they build their nests in close thick hedges, 

 pretty low, a little above the edge of the bank, 

 and most commonly where briars and thorns are 

 thickly interwoven, which are a strong fence to 

 them against the approach of their enemies; the 

 nest is 'made of the leaves of trees, straw, and 

 moss, and in which the hen lays four or five eggs 

 of a brown nutmeg colour, but she seldom brings 

 them all to perfection ; their time of hatching is 

 usually about the middle of May. A night- 

 ingale's nest may be found by observing the 

 place where the cock sings, for the hen is never 

 far off; or you may stick two or three meal- 

 worms on the thorns near the place most fre- 

 quented by the cock, and then observe, when he 

 comes to take them, which way he carries them, 

 and by listening you will hear the young, while 

 the old ones are about feeding them, for they 

 make a great noise for so small a bird. 



The young ones should not be taken till they 

 are almost as full of feathers as the old ones ; and 

 though they are apt to be sullen and refuse their 

 meat, when taken so old, yet, by opening their 

 bills, and giving them two or three small pieces 



