NIG 
moft every modern writer mentions it with entlm- 
fiafm; and every ancient, who engaged in the 
delineation of beautiful nature, has exerted him- 
felf to raife it's reputation. 
* The Nightingale,' fays Pliny, * that for 
fifteen days and nights, hid in the thickeft 
jfhades, continues her note without intermiffion, 
deferves our attention and wonder. How fur- 
prizing that fo loud a voice can refide in fo fmall 
a body! Such perfeverance in fo minute an ani- 
mal! With what a mufical propriety are the 
founds it produces modulated ! The note at one 
time drawn out into a long breath, now ftealing 
off into a different cadence, now interrupted by 
a break, then changing into a new note by an un- 
expefted tranfition, now feeming to renew the 
fame ftrain, and then fruftrating expe<5lation ! 
She fometimes feems to murmur within herfelf; 
full, deep, fharp, fwift, drawling, trembling; 
now at the top, the middle, and the bottom of 
the fcale ! In fine, in that little bill feems to re- 
fide all the melody which man has vainly la- 
boured to produce from, a variety of firings and 
inftruments. Some even feem to be poffeffed of 
a different fong from the reft, and mutually con- 
tend with great ardour. The vanquifhed bird is 
then feen only to difcontinue it's fong with it's life.' 
Such is the defcription of Pliny and from hence 
it might be imagined, that the Nightingale was 
poffeffed of a perfevering ftrain: this, indeed, is 
the fa6t with refpeft to the Italian Nightingale; 
but, in the hedges of this country, the little 
fongftrefs is lefs liberal of her mufic. Her note, 
however, is foft, various, and interrupted : ihe 
fo frequently paufes, that the paufing- fong would 
be the proper epithet for this bird's mufic with 
US; which is more pleafing than the warbling of 
any other bird, becaufe it is heard at a time when 
all the reft are filent. 
The Nightingale derives it's name from Night, 
and the Saxon word Galan, to Sing; expreffive of 
the time when it's harmony is heard. It is about 
the fize of the red-ftart, but more flender, longer- 
bodied, and more elegantly formed. The head 
and back are of a pale tawny colour, daftied with 
olive; the throat, breaft, and upper part of the 
belly, are of a light gloffy afti-colour; and the 
lower belly is almoft white. The exterior webs 
of the quill-feathers are of a dull reddifli brown 
hue; the tail' is of a deep tawny red; the legs and 
feet are of a deep afli-colour ; the irides are hazel ; 
and the eyes are remarkably large and animated. 
This bird, the moft celebrated of the feathered 
tribe for the variety, length, and iweetnefs of it's 
notes, vifits England about the beginning of 
April, and leaves it in Augufr. It is found only 
in fome of the fouthern parts of this country; 
and is faid to be unknov/n in Scotland, Ireland, 
and North Wales. It generally frequents thick 
hedges and low coppices; and as it ufually 
ftations itfelf in the middle of fome bulh, it is 
therefore but feldom feen. It begins it's fong in 
the evening, which it continues by intervals during 
the whole night; and, if not difturbed, will fit for 
fome weeks together on the fame tree. 
The Nightingale builds it's neft about the be- 
ginning of May: it is compofed of ftraw, mofs, 
and the leaves of trees; is ufually fituated near 
the bottom of fome hedge, where it is thickeft 
and beft fheltered; and fo artfully fecreted, as 
generally to elude the penetrating eye of the 
Ichoolboy, 
NIG 
The Nightingale lays four or five eggs, of a 
brown nutmeg colour ; but, in this climate, the 
whole number is feldom hatched. 
The fweetnefs of this bird's melody has induced 
many to abridge it of it's liberty, in order to fe- 
cure it's fong: it's notes, however, when in cap- 
tivity, are lefs alluring ; though Gefner allows it 
to be the moft agreeable fongfter in a cage; and 
affures us, that it is poffeffed of a moft admirable 
faculty for talking. He even relates a long 
dialogue which paffed between two Nightingales 
at an inn in Ratifbon, in which not only the 
human voice was admirably imitated, but infinite 
fagacity and ftrength of argumentation were dif- 
played on both fides. Thus, when we are poffeffed 
of high reputation for any one quality, the world is 
then ready enough to give us allowance for others 
to which we have but fmall pretenfions. Gefner 
indeed feems to credit the relation of his corre- 
fpondent ; but we only repeat it, as a proof how 
the moft enlightened minds may be biaffed on a 
favourite fubjeft; and how difficult it is to dif- 
criminate between truth and error, when our 
paffions or prejudices prompt our belief. 
' Whilft I was at Ratift5on,' fays this natura- 
lift, * I put up at an inn, the fign of the Golden 
Crown, where my hoft had three Nightingales. 
What I am going to repeat is wonderful, almoft 
incredible, and yet true. The Nightingales were 
placed feparately, fo that each was ftiut up by it- 
felf in a dark cage. It happened at that time, 
being the fpring of the year, when thofe birds 
are wont to fing indefatigably, that I was fo sf- 
fiifled with the ftone, that I could fleep but very 
little all night. It was ufual then about mid- 
night, when there was no noife in the houfe, but 
all ftill, to hear the two Nightingales jangling, 
talking with each other, and plainly imitating 
men's difcourfes. For my part, I was almoft loft 
in wonder; for at this time, when all elfe was 
quiet, they held conferences together, and repeated 
whatever they had heard among the guefts by 
day. Thofe two of them that were moft notable, 
and mafters of this art, were fcarcely ten feet dif- 
tant from each other. The third hung more re- 
mote, fo that I could not well hear it as I lay 
a-bed. But it is wonderful to tell how thofe two 
provoked each other; and, by anfwering, invited 
and drew each other to fpeak. Yet did they not 
confound their words, or talk both together, but 
rather utter them alternately and of courfe. Be- 
fides the daily difcourfe of the guefts, they chanted 
out two ftories, which generally held them from 
midnight till morning; and that with fuch modu- 
lations and inflexions, that no man could have 
fuppofed would have come from fuch little crea- 
tures. When I afl^ed the hoft if they had been 
taught, or whether he obferved their talking in 
the night, he anfwered. No. The fame faid the 
whole family. But I, who could not fleep for 
nights together, was perfedly fenfible of their dif- 
courfe. One of their ftories was concernino- the 
tapfter and his wife, who refufed to follow him tp 
the wars, as he defired her; for the hufband en- 
deavoured to perfuade his wife, as far as I undcr- 
ftood by the birds, that he would leave his fer- 
vice in that inn, and go to the wars, in hopes of 
plunder. But fhe refufed to follow him, refolving 
either to ftay at Ratiftson, or go to Nieremberg. 
There was a long and earneft contention between 
them; and all this dialogue the birds repeated. 
They even rehearfed the unfeemly words that were 
caft 
