F emale.
Manners»
The female makes her neft in fome low bulh, or quickfet-
hedge, well covered with foliage, for fuch only this bird frequents
; and lays four or five eggs, of a greenilh brown. The
neft is compofed of dry leaves on the outfide, mixed with grafs
and fibres, lined with hair or down within, though not always
alike: I have alfo known the neft made upon a little rifing
ground. The female alone fits on and hatches the eggs, while
the male, not far off, confoles her with his delightful fong * ;
but as foon as the young are hatched, leaves off finging, for the
moft part, and joins with the female in the talk of providing
for and feeding them. After the young can provide for them-
felves, the old female provides for a fecond brood, and the fpng
of the male recommences. They have alfo been known to have
three broods in a year, and in the hot countries even four f . It
has been obferved, that the males are at leaft double in number
to the females J.
They are folitary birds, never uniting into even fmall
flocks > and in refpedt to the nefts, it is very feldom that two
are found near each other. Thefe birds are often brought
up from the neft for the fake of their fong s and are likewife
caught at their firft coming over, and, though old birds, yet
• The male in general only lings, yet now and then a female has been known
to fing in a cage.
Hi ft. des oif.
% Bujfon fays, that there are always more males than females; fo that if one
is deftroyed, the female never fails to get a new mate, and even a fecond or
third, if wanting. Quere, How are the fupernumerary males provided for f
or did nature enjoin the unhappy batchelor a ftate of celibacy i
The males arrive firft, and in about a week after thefemales, who have feldom
any males with them. No wonder, then, if all the birds firft caught Ihould be
males. See Br. Zool. ii. p. 658.
may
be mod, b , f e ® g £ , ™ b f «
f ® R E « E T o r ifl|lfgg£ 1 I t fj 1 m If
the Hi/!. *•'«/• w h o . the fobjeft U treated | the mo«
pie manner.
Le grand Roffignol, Brif. orn. Hi. p. +o°. Buf. oif. v. p..U3-
Groffe-nachtigalle, Sch-wench. Sil. p- 296.
Slowick wiekfzy, Rzacz. Anti. Pol. 391-
Sprofs-vogel, Fri/ch. pi. 21.
r p H I S is mentioned bv authors as being confiderably bigger
T " h e . the other, » d, dies «0 H t o “ "
The plumage is faid to be rufous and afh-colour mixed.
This author alfo fpeaks of a third, which is fmaller than t e
other two, whofe fong is only in proportion to its fize | g
Thefe are faid to be met with chiefly in Sile/ia-, not but there
of. ».«tit i«e» »“ “ b' ’ ,th *b°”‘
Anjou, in France.
I If an old bird be caught at the firft coming, it begins Hjafter fix or
eight days confinement, and after the ufual tune, the fong goes off, and again
the end of Deumher; and fo on every year : but if brought up from the neft it
fings the whole year round, except during the time of moulting; and often
better than the wild Nightingale.
t See Kram. el. p. 376* N" 10. >
Van. A.
GREATER. N.
D escription.
Place.
3 G a Le