THE NIGHTINGALE. 1 
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The nightingale has been called a melancholy bird, a notion j 
probably grounded on the fact of the bird’s love of night, and j 
its retiring habits. It is a mistake, however, to suppose the- j 
nightingale a sad bird. Ho bird sings for the ease of a heavy ( 
heart, but because — because — well, I suppose from much the- | 
s,ame reason that boys skip, and sing, and halloa, and seem- 
ingly delight the more in pranks because they are aimless ; but j 
then middle-aged and old folks don’t skip, and sing, and halloa ; 
and, for all that is known to the contrary, middle-aged night- 
ingales are as constantly melodious as the new year’s nestling ; 
so you see the simile breaks down at once. After all it matters 
little to us why the nightingale sings. Let us accept it as 
one among the ten thousand blessed gifts of the Bountiful Giver 
and be humbly thankful. 
Respecting the imputation of melancholy levelled against 
the nightingale, Coleridge prettily says : — 
“ And hark ! the nightingale begins its song, 
e Most musical, most melancholy ’ bird. 
A melancholy bird ? Oh, idle thought ! 
In nature there is nothing melancholy. 
’Tis the merry nightingale, 
That crowds and hurries, and precipitates 
With fast thick warble his delicious notes. 
As he were fearful that an April night 
Would be too short for him to utter forth 
His love chant, and disburden his full soul 
Of all its music.” 
Bechstein, who has closely studied the habits of this bird, 
says that it expresses its different emotions by suitable cries 
and particular intonations. The most unmeaning cry when 
he is alone appears to be the simple whistle “ fitt but if the 
syllable “ err ” be added, it is then the call of the male to the 
female. The sign of displeasure or fear, is “ fitt ” repeated 
rapidly and loudly, before adding the terminating “ err,” while 
that of satisfaction, pleasure, or complacency is a deep “ tack,” 
which may be imitated by smacking the tongue. In anger, j 
| jealousy, rivalry, or any extraordinary event, he utters hoarse, 
| disagreeable sounds somewhat like a jay or cat. 
The same authority gives the numbers of a nightingale’s 
j notes as twenty-four, and moreover opines that they are so j 
distinct that they may be intelligibly written. They have been 
written, and by a naturalist thoroughly conversant with bird lan- 
guage. I am afraid, however, that the description will not be j 
exactly so easy as a b c to all my readers. However, I lay it 
before them : — 
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