370 DIVISION I. VEliTEliKAL ANIMALS. — CLASS II. AVES. 



"In order to account for tlie smell of fresh earth aliout the plumage, and 

 the perfectly unruttted state of the flight feathers, it has been conjectured that 

 this interesting bird hybernates, by burying itself in the ground ; but there 

 are many unanswerable arguments against this theory. For instance, it is 

 known that in the south-eastern islands of the Mediterranean Sea, in Asia 

 Minor, and the north of Africa, the nightingale is found throughout the 

 winter; so that he does not hybernate at all, in the geuerall}- accepted 

 meaning of that term. 



''Another nightingale mystery is the capricious character of his distribution 

 during his sunnner appearance in northern and western Europe. It might be 

 imagined that coming from warmer climates he would seek the mildest portion 

 of our island, and that Devonshire and Cornwall would be his most favorite 

 localities. Bat such is not tiic case. In the eastern portion of England he 

 locates himself as far north as Durham, while in many of the midland counties 

 his presence is unknown. To account f >r this seeming discrepancy, it has 

 been conjectured that, coming over from the Continent at the narrowest part 

 of the Channel, he directs his course according to the situation of districts 

 aliounding in wood and water, where alone the usual food he requires is to be 

 found in sufficient quantity ; so that a bare range of down-like hills, or a 

 country in which small watercourses are rare, may at once stop his progress in 

 such a direction. That he travels to us from south-cast is the more probable 

 conjecture, as in the south of France he appears ten days earlier than with 

 us, and in southern Italy even in tlie middle of ]\Iarch. This seems to prove 

 that the tide of emigration follows the first expansion of the spring leaves, 

 and the slauiltaneous a[)[icarance of many kinds of insects which form his 

 food. Aristotle and Pliny both notice that his first notes are heard at the 

 moment that the first spring leaves appear, and add, that he then sings ten 

 days and nigiits without intermission. This is true oidy to a certain extent, 

 for he continues in song diu'ing the whole of May and the greater part of 

 June ; but it is only at first that we hear the proud and passionate burst of the 

 love-song that has inspired the poets. It is in the days preceding the pair- 

 ing;' time, and those of the season of ' courtshij)," that he puts forth his great- 

 est bi'illiancy and his loudest vocal powers ; the melodies of his ' married life ' 

 being of a calmer character, though still far above any other music of the 

 woods. 



" On their first arrival, contests take place for favorite localities, and the 

 strongest and most courageous prevail. As the same individual birds and 

 their offspring return to the same places each successive season, these com- 

 bats often take place between tlic male parent and the strongest young male 

 bird of the first brood ; in foct, shocking as it may seem, between father 

 and son ; and the young prodigal often succeeds in beating his parent, who 



