102 
SYLVIA D.E. 
been made very unhappy by a Nightingale whicli had built 
in their garden, and had the day before been robbed of its 
young. This loss she had been deploring in such a melan¬ 
choly strain all the night, as not only to deprive him and 
his wife of sleep, but also to leave them in the morning 
full of soiTOW; from which they had evidently not recovered 
Avhen INIr. Lambert saw them.” 
The food of this species consists of insects of different 
kinds, chiefly terrestrial. On this account it is often seen 
upon the ground, although its habits are decidedly arboreal, 
as it mostly resides and sings among lofty trees. When 
upon the ground, this bird stands very erect, as if conscious 
of the high rank he holds among his fellows. His flight 
from bush to bush is very light, on account of the breadth 
of his wings and tail. The Nightingale retires from this 
country in August or September, and leaves the most 
southern parts of Europe in October, to winter, as it is 
believed, in Africa and Syria. 
The entire length of this species is six inches and a 
quarter. The beak measures five and a half lines from the 
tip to the forehead, and nine lines to the gape. The wing 
is three inches and a quarter long, and the tail extends an 
inch and a quarter beyond it when closed: the third quill- 
feather is the longest. The tarsi measure an inch in length, 
and are undivided in the shaft; they are brownish flesh- 
colour. The beak is, at the base of the under mandible, 
flesh-colour, the rest brown; the comers of the mouth are 
yellow. The upper plumage, including the head, back, 
and Avings, is cinnamon-brown; the tail and upper coverts 
rust-coloured; the under parts are greyish-white, the sides 
of the breast and flanks tinged with reddish-brown ; the 
iris is greyish-brown. There is little perceptible difference 
in plumage between the sexes, except that the throat of 
the male is Avhiter than that of the female. 
In our plate the egg of the Nightingale is figured 64. 
