NIGHTINGALE 
25 
russet about the tail, and clear grey beneath ; and 
his slightly larger size than most of the small 
birds of the wood (Robins, and Blackcaps, and so 
on — but he is of course much smaller than the 
Thrush) gives him a distinctive appearance, as 
well as his sprightly movements and large and 
intelligent-looking head and eye. As for the 
famous song, in spite of a few rather harsh notes, 
and the broken and fitful character which is its too 
frequent blemish, it is beyond all doubt the most 
splendid bird-music to be heard in England. 
There is no other song which in the least comes 
near its extraordinary force and fire, and by this 
unique quality it easily surpasses the three or four 
other kinds of bird-music (those of the Song 
Thrush, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, and Blackbird, 
say) which may be said to equal or even excel it in 
smoothness or sweetness of tone. The bird truly 
sings as if its very heart were bursting, and it 
seems no wonder that it often pauses, as though 
for an instant's breathing-space, after each fierce 
jet of song. And yet, at times, oftenest during 
the early hours of some peculiarly balmy and yet 
exhilarating night of May, it will pour forth an 
almost unbroken flood of music, usually in chal- 
lenge or answer to one or more of its rivals singing 
at a greater distance ; for these birds have the 
limits of their respective kingdoms very clearly 
