xc. 



PHILOMELA LUSCINIA. (Swains. 

 Nightingale. 



Or the delicious song of the Nightingale, we, in the North 

 of England, are unfortunately deprived. Doncaster has long 

 been considered by Ornithologists as its Northern limit: I 

 have, however, the pleasure of extending its boundary line a 

 little further. It has been heard several times within four or 

 five miles of York, and has also been once or twice taken in 

 traps in that neighbourhood. In the South of England, in 

 many parts of which it is very abundant, it is nevertheless 

 somewhat partially and whimsically distributed ; according to 

 Mr. Neville Wood,* it has never been met with in any part of 

 North Wales, nor does it occur fiirther West than Somerset- 

 shire : he remarks, " The reason of this is by no means well 

 explained ; and indeed it would seem to be perfectly arbitrary, 

 as some of the counties which are not favoured by its melody 

 are remarkable for balminess of climate, and softness of air ; 

 nor can it be the coldness of climate in the Northern counties, 

 that prevents its visiting these, as *it is found in much more 

 Northern latitudes in other countries." 



The Nightingale makes its nest, like the Robin Redbreast, 

 upon the ground, amongst the roots of trees, or upon a hedge 

 bank : its base is composed of loose herbage, rushes, and dry 

 leaves ; the nest itself is a compact matting of leaves — princi- 

 pally oak, — rushes, and grass, lined with a thin covering of 

 fine grass. The eggs are four or five, sometimes six, in num- 

 ber; they are commonly of a pure and spotless drab, some- 

 times, however, distinctly fireckled all over with a darker 

 colouring.— Plate XC. Figs. 1 and 2. 



* See au interesting paper by him, in No. 12 of the Analyst. 



