Page:Natural History of the Nightingale, John Legg, 1779.djvu/2

 as in young parrows: the head, back, and coverts of the wings are of a pale tawny, dahed with olive: the throat, breat, and upper part of the belly are of a light gloy ah colour, but lower near the vent the feathers are white. The tail is near three inches long, and conits of twelve feathers of a deep tawny red; the rump and feathers that cover the root of the tail are of the ame colour. There are eighteen quill feathers in each wing, the exterior webs of which are of a duky red. The legs and feet are of a fleh colour in ome, but in others duky. The irides of this bird are yellow, and the eyes are remarkably large and piercing. In this pecies there are no particular marks to ditinguih the cock from the hen, though in general it may be oberved the colours are more lively in the former.

Though the nightingale has no exterior charms, no beautiful colours to pleae the eye, though he is not ditinguihed for the finenes of his dres, and the elegance of his plumage, he has other qualifications to recommend him, other accomplihments which render him truly amiable. The melody of his voice ufficiently compenates for his want of beauty, and no other bird can vie with him in the oftnes, the trength, the boldnes, and the variety of his notes. Though he does not exceed the parrow in magnitude, he is the loudet warbler of the woods, and the mot pleaing of all the grove. Its melody is o oft, and its tuneful tranitions o weet, that it ooths the imagination, agreebly lulls the mind, delights the ear, and wonderfully elevates the hearts of thoe who liten with attention to its inimitably pleaing trains. Lovers of nature, and thoe who are fond of retirement in particular, it charms in a peculiar manner, and nothing can afford uch oft and innocent muic to them who are addicted to olitude and contemplation, as the agreeable trillings of this night-warbling bird.

Philomela (if we may ue the poetical epithet) has in all ages been highly eteemed and admired, and almost every poet mentions it with delight.—Milton was remarkably truck with its melody, and often did his mue invite him to ing of his much-favoured bird: often were the charms of the nightingale the ubject of his rapturous theme. In Paradie Lot, Book IV. Vere 595, &c. he decribes, in a very beautiful and elegant manner, the olemn approach of night, and the weet warbling of the nocturnal bird.

At the conummation of the nuptials of our primæval parents, Milton again introduces his favourite bird to chaunt the marriage ong, and all nature eems to exult, all nature eems to concur in expreing her joy at the uperlative happines of the bleed pair!

This bird is the more valued, becaue it entertains us when all the ret are ilent. It takes its name from night, and the Saxon word galan, to ing, expreive of the time of its harmony. They begin their ong at the approach of eve, and commonly perevere in it the whole night. 'Tis true it ings frequently in the day too when the weather is erene; but the duky hour is its favourite eaon: and when the whole creation is olemn and huhed in ilence, methinks its ong is more pleaing, and trikes the mind with an agreeable awe and veneration.

When the able hadows are treched over the earth, and ober eve ucceeds the golden day, delightful is the oft