Birds of Britain 



vegetation, till we lose him again in the following spring 

 amid the bustle and rush of reawakening life. 



The sexes are practically alike and have the upper parts 

 olive brown; frontal band, lore, chin, throat, and upper 

 breast reddish orange, bordered on the throat and breast 

 with bluish grey ; flanks brown ; rest of under parts white. 

 Length 5 '75 in. ; wing 3 in. 



THE NIGHTINGALE 



Daulias luscinia (Linnaeus) 



The name of this bird is familiar to every one ornitho- 

 logist or otherwise. Poets have sung his praises for 

 centuries, and not in vain, for there are few who do not in 

 consequence feel a desire to hear this unsurpassed musician 

 of the bird world. Like all good things, however, our 

 songster does not overwhelm us with his melody. On his 

 arrival in this country, about the third week in April, he 

 bursts forth, pouring out his ecstasy in glorious and varied 

 song. What a thrill it gives us as we listen on a warm 

 spring evening to the liquid notes bubbling forth and 

 resounding through the still air. He pauses for breath, 

 and we can then hear in the distance the voice of another 

 and yet another answering the song, the more distant 

 warbling sounding as echoes of our own musician, till the 

 whole country-side is full of exquisite melody. We retire, 

 feeling in ourselves the magic of that " breath of spring " 

 which has brought the ever- welcome wanderer to our shores 

 once more. To attempt to describe that song in words 



38 



