+. NIGHTINGALE.
Description
Place and
Markers.
Motacilla lufcinia, Lin. Syft. i. p. 324. N° 1.— Kram. el. p. 375. N” 9.—
Brun. orn. p. 79.— Muller, p. 32. N° 263.— Frijcb. I. 21«1—Kram. el.
376. 10.— Olin. uc. pi. in p. I.
Sylvia lufcinia. Scop. ann. i. N° 227.
Le Roliignol, Brif. orn. iii.p. 397. N° 13.— Buf. oi/.y. p. 81. pi. 6. f. ’I.—
PI. enl. 615. N° 2.
Nightingale, Bait Syn. p. 78.—Will. orn. p. 220. pi. 4 1 Albin, iii. pi. 53.
Br. Zool. i. N° 145. Arcs. Zool.
Br. Muf. Lev. Muf.
H I S, though a plain bird, merits the firft place in the
Warbler genus, on account of its delightful fong. If is
larger in lize than the Hedge Sparrow, and in length fix inches
and a quarter. The bill is brown : irides hazel : the head and
back pile tawny, dallied with olive : the tail of a deep tawny
red: under parts pale alh-colour, growing white towards the
vent: quills cinereous hrown, with the outer margins reddifh
brown : legs cinereous brown.
The male and female very fimilar.
This bird is fufficiently common in England, but not feen in
the more northern counties, and feldom in the weflern, Torkjhire
being the fartheft to which it migrates, and fcarce ever feen
either in Devonjhire or Cornwall. It comes into this itland the
beginning of April, and departs fome time in Augujl. It is met
with in Sibiria, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, and Greece, but
in all thofe places is migratory, as in England; indeed we are not
clear in refpeft to its natural winter-refidence, but moll: likely it
is not in Europe -, nor are we pofitive of its being in Africa * :
* In the Voy. aux Canaries, p. 104, a Nightingale is mentioned, which is
faid not to ling fo well as ours, it is therefore not certain of its being the fame.
6 we
we may therefore conclude that it is an inhabitant of the
Aftatic regions, during fuch times as it is not to be found in
Europe. Rdffelqiiift * fpeaks of it as being in Paleftine; and
Fryer f afcertains its being found about Chuhninor, in Perfta; it
is alfo fpoke of as. a bird of China, Kamtfcbatka%, and Japan ||;
at which laft place they are much efteemed, and fell dear; as
they are alfo at Aleppo, where they are “ in great abundance
“ kept tame in houfes, and let out at a fmall rate to fuch as
“ chufe it in the city, fo that no entertainment is made in the
“ fpring without a concert of thefe birds §>” We are almoft
certain of their not being found in America, though many of
their birds bear that name §§.
None but the vileft epicure would think of eating thefe charming
fongfters; yet we are told that their flelh is equal to that of
the Ortolan, and they are fatted in Gafcony for the table. Every
fchool-boy mull: have read of Heliogabalus eating of Nightingales
tongues; and that famed difh of the Roman tragedian Mfop,
which was compofed of thofe of every fingrng or talking bird JJ.
* He fays it is very common on the Ihores of the river Nile.
f “ The Nightingale, the fweet harbinger of the light, is a conftant chearer
« of thefe groves, charming with its warbling drains the heavied foul into a
“ pleadng extacy.” Fryer's Travels, p. 248.
J Ellis's Narrative, ii. p. 229.
11 Ktcmpfer Japan.
§ Buff. Alep. p, 7.
Virginian ■ Nightingale, American Nightingale, Spanijh Nightingale. All
birds of a different fpecies, for certain.
J! This dilh is faid to have cod about 6843/. lor. of our money. Br.
Zttol. ii. 656, note.
VOL. II. 3 G The