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Mji Indian Nightingales. 
Madame is iiotliing if not peculiar, ami in matters (jf the 
heart she is atrocious. One 1 liad was a pei'fect Amazon and 
she worried me. Niglit after iiij^ht she sang, until I wearied 
of the etei'nal (luestioii slie i)i-()p()uiKled. T could not answer 
her satisfactorily, so in desperation I withdrew the wi e parti- 
tion which separated hei' from the feathered A])ollo she im- 
portuned and left them to the enjoyment of that moment called 
" intense 1 " 
It never arrived ! 
When I thought to look ui on their happiness, a triumph- 
ant and excited lady greeted me. Like Salome she appeared 
to have cast some of her apparel in tlie love dance, 
and a greatly agitated and dishevelled rock appealed to me 
for protection. I do not tliiid': he ever forgave me. Ijike one 
of Paul de Kock's heroes I had made him appear ridiculous. 
I have heard it said that all Shamas sing alike. This is not 
my experience. I have had half a. dozen birds singing at the 
same time — no two sang alike. But certainly all Nightingales 
choose one divine theme, strike one chord, " the sweetest 
name that ever love grew weary of ." 
The solitary Shama that I have at present is supei'b 
in size and colour and a most passionate singer. He is some- 
what of a mimic too, I confess, with regret; mimicking is so 
commonplace and it spoils his nuisic. He is exceptionally 
tame, quite familiar in fact at times. 
Latterly however I notice he is somewhat moody and 
occasionally resents interference. It nuty be that he objects 
to the close proximity of his feathered neighboui' (an ex- 
tremely rare bird — no, I won't I'eveal the species, there should 
always be a reticence between aviculturists! j ; perhaps too 
though the Shama is a Star Artiste, he is yet jealous of an- 
other competitor and fears to lose the place that will be his 
for ever. 
Sing on, little Nightingale, perched upon my anger — 
You speak the only tongue you know — you have no regrets, 
no memories and the perfume of your lost rose-bush is with 
you yet. 
