Page:Natural History of the Nightingale, John Legg, 1779.djvu/4

 amorous chaces the loudet notes are made ue of by the male, the female expreing her conent by a hort interrupted twittering. Once paired, the conjugal connection is kept inviolate, and mutually oberved with the trictet fidelity for the whole eaon.

The connubial rites being performed with all imaginable expedition, they begin to contruct the manion for their future progeny. For this purpoe the mot private and commodious ituation is ought for, where they may lay their eggs, and bring up their young in ecurity. Often the male and female on this occaion pas everal days before they can find a place proper for their purpoe. In general they build their nets at the bottom of hedges, and in mall buhes, not far from the ground; and of all the feathered tribe, none ecretes it o artfully as the nightingale, which is the reaon why their little manions are o eldom dicovered.

Apparently enible are they that they have many enemies lying in ambuh to detroy their riing progeny, and frutrate their laudable intentions. The hawk, the kite, &c. mut be guarded againt, the malignant ravages of lurking reptiles mut be taken care of, and man particularly, their chief invader. This prompts them to exert all their little arts to be ecure of danger, and to arm their little houhold from view amidt the helter of entangled thorn, and the thick covert of brambles, nettles, &c. Thus ituated, thus ecreted, it generally ecapes the earch of its innumerable enemies, and almot always eludes the obervation of the chool-boy. The female lays five eggs, which are about the ize of thoe of the common parrow, and of a darkih brown or nutmeg colour.—The nightingale is not delicate in the choice of his materials; a few dried oak leaves form the external part of the net, and the inide is compoed of fibres of roots, oft bents, &c. curiouly interwoven. In contructing it they are remarkably indutrious, and the net is uually compleated in two or three days. The male provides the materials, but the female is the architect.`Thee elegant ongters breed in the month of May, and when they come early, ometimes produce twice in a eaon.

Market-Lavington.

(To be concluded in our next.)