Class II. NIGHTINGALE. 499 



As Philomel in poplar shades, alone, 

 For her lost offspring pours a mother's moan, 

 Which some rough ploughman marking for his prey, 

 From the warm nest, unfledg'd hath dragg'd away ; 

 Percht on a bough, she all night long complains, 

 And fills the grove with sad repeated strains. 



Warton. 



Pliny has described the warbling notes of 

 this bird, with an elegance that bespeaks an ex- 

 quisite sensibility of taste ; notwithstanding that 

 his words have been cited by most other writers 

 on natural history, yet such is the beauty, and 

 in general the truth of his expressions, that they 

 cannot be too much studied by lovers of natu- 

 ral history, and therefore clame a place in a work 

 of this kind. We must observe notwithstand- 

 ing, that a few of his thoughts are more to be 

 admired for their vivacity than for strict philo- 

 sophical reasoning ; but these few are easily dis- 

 tinguishable. 



" Lusciniis diebus ac noctibus continuis xv. garrulus sine in- 

 " termissu cantus, densante se frondium germine, non in novis- 

 " simnm digna miratu ave. Primum tanta vox tarn parvo in 

 '* corpusculo, tarn pertinax spiritus. Deinde in una perfecta 

 " musicas scientia modulatus editur sonus: et nunc continuo 

 " spiritu trahitur in longum, nunc variatur infiexo, nunc dis- 

 " tinguitur conciso, copulatur in torto: promittitur revocato, 

 " infuscatur ex inopinato : interdum et secum ipse murmurat: 

 " plenus, gravis, acutus, creber, extentus, ubi visum est, vi- 

 " brans, summus, medius, imus. Breviterque omnia tarn par- 

 " vulis in faucibus, quae tot exquisitis tibiarum tormentis ars 



