108 
THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
they seldom all come to maturity in our climate. 
While she is engaged in hatching and rearing her 
young, her faithful partner takes his station a few 
yards off, upon some neighbouring branch, cheering 
her with his harmonious voice to beguile the time ; 
and should danger threaten, she is informed of it by 
the interruption of his song, which is seldom heard 
very close to the nest, for fear of its being discovered. 
He provides her with the daintiest bits, and assists 
her in rearing their offspring vdth the greatest assi- 
duity; and should any one chance to approach the 
nest, he flies to some distance, where he commences 
his sweet strains, as if to attract the notice of the 
intruder from the abode of all his treasures; this 
manoeuvre is understood by the hen, who remains 
silent till he again informs her the danger is past. 
When the young ones are first come abroad, and are 
helpless, the parent birds make a plaintive and jarring 
noise, snapping with their bills, and pursuing people 
along the hedges as they walk, as if to intimidate by 
their menaces. 
As the nightingale is considered to excel all other 
birds in its musical powers, it is also said to exceed it 
in the exquisiteness of its scent, frequenting those 
