2 5 S NIGHTINGALE. Clafs II. 



high trees, except the oak. Pliny has defcribed 

 the warbling notes of this bird, with an elegance that 

 befpeaks an exquifite fenfibility of tafte: notwith- 

 fcanding his words have been cited by moll other 

 writers on natural hiftory, yet fuch is the beauty, 

 and in general the truth of his expreflions, that they 

 cannot be too much ftudied by lovers of natural 

 hiftory, therefore clame a place in a work of this kind* 

 We mud obferve notvvithftanding, that a few of his 

 thoughts are more to be admired for their vivacity 

 than for ftrict philofophical reafoning, but thefe few 

 are eafily diftinguifhable. 



" Lufcinits diebus ac noclibus continuis xv. garru- 

 " lus fine intermiiTu cantus, denfante fe frondium 

 " germine, non in novifTimum digna miratu ave. 

 " Primum tanta vox tarn parvo in corpufculo, tarn 

 *' pertinax fpiritus. Deinde in una perfecta muficae 

 " icientia modulatus editur fonus : & nunc continue 

 " fpiritu trahitur in longum, nunc variatur inflexo, 

 " nunc diftinguitur concifo, copulatur intorto : prc- 

 M mittitur revocato, infufcatur ex inopinato : inter- 

 " dum & fecum ipfe murmurat : plenus, gravis, 

 ■" acutus, creber, extentus, ubi vifum eft, vibrans, 

 *' fummus, medius, imus. Breviterque omnia tarn 

 " parvulis in faucibus, qus2 tot exquifitis tibiarum 

 " tormentis ars hominum excogitavit : ut non fit 

 " dubium hanc fuavitatem przemonftratam efficaci 

 " aufpicio, cum in ore Stefichori cecinit infantis* 

 *' Ac ne quis dubitet artis efle, plures fingulis funt 

 *' cantus, nee iidem omnibus, fed fui cuique. Cer- 

 *« taut inter fe, palamque animofa contentio eft. 

 " Vicla morte fink fsepe vitam, fpiritu prius defi- 

 4 1' ciente, 



