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THE NIGHTINGALE. 

 (Daulias luscinia.) 



The Nightingale leads a quiet domestic life among the 

 thickets. It has much occupation on the ground, whence 

 it derives its livelihood, its food consisting entirely of 

 grubs and insects. In the pairing season, and at the 

 time when the hen is sitting, the male bird perches on 

 a twig near the nest and sings his song now mournful, 

 now stirring, now tender ; the finest song produced from 

 any bird's throat ! Enthusiastic bird-fanciers have put 

 words to the Nightingale's song and turned it into verse. 

 It begins thus : 



Fid, fid, fid! kr-kr-zi-zi, doredo, reredezit. 



We have a native congener, the Meadow Nightingale, 

 which is larger than the bird described above, and has a 

 darker and fuller breast. The Hungarian Nightingale 

 of the bird dealers begins its song thus : 



PhilippPhilippPhilipp, 

 Tarak Tarak Tarak, 

 Diderot DiderotDiderot. 



Bird-catchers have been very destructive to this noble, 

 useful bird on the Continent. 



The Nightingale comes to Great Britain in the middle 

 of April. In August the young birds take their departure, 

 but the old birds stay until September in order to finish 

 moulting before taking flight. It has been supposed 

 that the migration is made singly, not in flocks like 

 that of other small birds ; but a naturalist has recorded 

 having once seen great numbers of Nightingales resting 



