observed it in the Crimea, where Pallas, who also noticed it,
says that formerly it was not found. Menetries says it is not
rare in the Caucasus and is especially common near the Caspian.
De Filippi saw it in the gardens at Kasbin in Persia, and this is
the most eastern locality in which we have positive assurance of
its occurrence. Canon Tristram says it is generally distributed
in Palestine, arriving at the end of March and breeding in the
Jordan valley and other sheltered spots. I t occurs in Arabia
and in Egypt, is known as a bird of double passage on its way
to and from Nubia and Abyssinia. Dr. Kotschy observed it in
Cyprus, and Strickland at Smyrna. In the Cyclades generally
it is only a passing migrant, though breeding in Naxos.
I t occurs in Greece and in Attica especially is still as common
as in the days when her poets sang its praises. It would
seem to be found generally in Turkey. In Styria it is said
to breed but rarely. Throughout Italy from north to south,
including also the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, it is plentifully
distributed. I t inhabits Algeria, breeding there, though
many probably migrate northward in summer. In Portugal
Cintra has long been famous for this bird, and it is abundant
in parts of Spain and France. Thence it frequents Belgium
and Holland, occasionally visiting, according to Baron Droste-
Hiilshoff, the island of Borkum, while it is included by Mr.
Gatke among the species which have occurred in Heligoland.
In a note by Mr. Blytli, to his edition of White’s ‘ Sel-
borne,’ he says that the Nightingale “ appears to migrate
almost due north and south, deviating but a very little indeed
either to the right or left. There are none in Brittany,
nor in the channel islands (Jersey, Guernsey, &c.); and the
most westward of them cross the channel at Cape la Hogue,
arriving on the coast of Dorsetshire, and thence apparently
proceeding northward, rather than dispersing towards the
west, so that they are only known as accidental stragglers
beyond, at most, the third degree of western longitude, a line
which cuts off the counties of Devonshire and Cornwall,
together with all Wales and Ireland.” I t will be seen, however,
from what has been stated of the distribution of the Nightingale,
that this hypothesis requires modification to bring it
in accordance with facts, as now known, and granting that our
visitors come mainly from countries lying due south of us, it
appears that the line they take—doubtless fixed by some
natural peculiarities of the districts they avoid, though one
cannot pretend to say what those peculiarities are—is by no
means so straight as he supposed. The Exe and the southeast
of Glamorganshire lie considerably to the westward of
Cape la Hogue, the Channel Islands and Britany, so that to
reach these places the flight must be accordingly deflected.
This is only what is believed to be the case with other summer
birds-of-passage, and evidence is wanting to shew that it is
otherwise with the Nightingale.*
The bill is brown ; the irides h azel: the head, body and
wings above, of a uniform rich brown, tinged with reddish-
chestnut ; the tail still more rufous ; the lower surface dull
greyish-white, lighter on the chin and throat, darker on the
breast; lower tail-coverts pale reddish-white : legs, toes and
claws, brown.
The whole length, six inches and tliree-eighths. From
the carpus to the end of the longest primary, three inches
and one quarter.
The female in plumage resembles the male. The young
have buff spots on the tips of the feathers above ; and dark
margins to those beneath.
Authors have been perplexed as to the proper name to be
applied to the several sections into which the Linnsean genus
Motacilla has heen split by later writers, and none more than
that to which the Nightingale belongs. "Without going into
technicalities, it will be enough here to say that the Editor
* At least two unsuccessful attempts have been made to extend the range of
the Nightingale in this island. Mr. Dillwyn in his ‘ Materials for a Fauna and
Flora of Swansea,’ mentions that the late Mr. Thomas Penrice, by bringing several
cages of birds from Norfolk, and turning them out into his woods at Kilvrough,
near Swansea, hoped to introduce the species to that locality, but the experiment
was a complete failure. The late Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster, in Caithness, as is
recounted in many works, had a great number of Nightingales’ eggs sent to him
from London. These were placed in Redbreasts’ nests, which had been previously
found, and the young were duly hatched and brought up by their foster-parents.
But to no purpose was all this done, for in September the young Nightingales
disappeared and never returned to the place of their birth.