THE SINGING BIRDS. 



186 



only allude to one member of the group, the Nightingale, the " Queen of Song," to convince our 

 readers that their musical powers are unequalled in the whole feathered creation. In disposition 

 they are vigilant, acute, and lively, ever on the alert against danger, and daring and prompt in 

 encountering a foe. The nests built by the Ground Singers are large, thick, and usually placed in 

 holes among the projecting roots, or in the hollow trunks of trees, also in hedges or other similar 





the nightingale (Litscinia Philomela). 



situations, but they vary considerably in appearance, according to the species of the builder. The 

 brood consists of from four to seven eggs, which are either of one uniform colour or marked with 

 faint spots. The cares of incubation are undertaken by both parents. The young are at first clad 

 in a speckled plumage, but resemble the adult birds before the end of the first autumn. Most of 

 the members of this delightful group are eminently suited for life in a cage, and become attached 

 to those who rear them. 



VOL. Ii. 63 



