l6 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Orkneys and Hebrides, also in all parts of Ireland. 

 Nesting commences early, first eggs being laid during 

 latter part of March. Nest, composed of dead leaves, 

 moss and a little grass, lined with hair and, perhaps, a few 

 feathers, is placed in low banks, ivy-covered walls or holes 

 in trees, in the latter case even at a height of 8 or 9 feet 

 from ground. Eggs : 5 to 7 ; white, spotted about larger 

 end with pale red ; markings sometimes taking form of 

 distinct blotches or being confined to a narrow zone 

 around larger end ; unmarked eggs are not infrequent ; 

 size "80 by '60. Two or three broods are produced. The 

 sweet and musical song is heard during greater part 

 of year. 



GENUS VIII. DAULIAS, F. Boh (1831}. 



Wings moderate, third quill longest. Tail rounded. 



Tarsus rather long and slender, having in front one long 



plate and four smaller scutellae, instead of three as in 

 Erithacus. 



21. Daulias luscinia (Linn.). NIGHTINGALE. 



Hab. Western and Southern Europe, also North 

 Africa and Asia Minor. In winter migrating southward. 

 .Male : upper plumage russet-brown ; upper tail-coverts 

 and tail dull chestnut ; breast and flanks brownish-buff ; 

 belly dull white; bill and tarsi brown. Length 6-50. 

 Female identical. Newly-fledged youiig have feathers of 

 upper parts finely streaked with buf^ and lower parts 

 mottled with greyish-brown. 



Arrives about middle of April, leaving in September. 

 Common and generally distributed throughout south-east 

 of England ; an annual visitor to valley of the Trent, but 

 very rare in Yorkshire, and unknown farther north ; in 

 south-west reaches mid-Devon ; in Wales has only been 



