near the place where the male is ſtationed. Like the wood lark and moſt others of the ſmall bird tribe, the cock of the ſpecies is very frequent in his ſong during the time of incubation. The reaſon of birds being more conſtant in ſinging at this period, is to ſooth and delight the female whilſt ſitting: it is alſo ſuppoſed to be a ſignal of ſafety to inform her that no danger is near.
The nightingale ſits about fourteen or fifteen days; and ſuch is her patience and perſeverance, that neither the calls of hunger nor the approach of danger can force her from her neſt. She is often viſited by the male, who brings her a ſupply of food, and ſometimes for a little while relieves her in the work of incubation. Agreeable to this are the ſentiments of my favourite author Thompſon, for thus ſings that excellent, that much admired poet,
—————"The patient dam aſſiduous ſits,
Not to be tempted from her tender talk,
Or by ſharp hunger or by ſmooth delight,
Tho' the whole looſen'd ſpring around her blows.
Her ſympathiſing lover takes his ſtand
High on the opponent bank, and ceaſeleſs ſings
The tedious time away; or elſe ſupplies
Her place a moment, while ſhe ſudden flies
To pick the ſcanty meal."
By obſerving therefore attentively the place where the nightingale ſings, you will probably diſcover the neſt, for the female is uſually in the ſame hedge, or however not far off: but if after diligent ſearch you cannot find it, make uſe of this expedient. Stick two or three meal worms or caterpillars on the thorns near the place where the old ones frequent, and carefully obſerve which way they carry them, and you will hear the cry of the young, the old ones alſo will make a great ado, flutter around you with diſhevelled wings, and inceſſantly exert themſelves in a kind of mournful note or plaintive ſtrain when you approach the neſt.
When you have found the neſt, if the young ones are not fledged they muſt not be touched, for if they are taken out of the neſt, they will never continue there afterwards, as they will be anxious to leap out, or the old ones will entice them away. The young ſhould be twelve or fourteen days old before they are taken, and though at firſt they will be apt to refuſe their meat, yet when they are forcibly fed for a few days, they will ſoon voluntarily take their food. They ſhould
and is a fine ſong bird: the flycatcher, he informs us, builds its neſt in low buſhes, and lays blue eggs, which I ſuppoſe muſt be meant of the hedge-ſparrow: the common wren, he aſſures us, lays ſixteen, and ſometimes twenty eggs at a time, and the long-tail titmouſe fourteen; and it is his opinion that the titmice tribe emigrate, and that there is a great analogy between the note of the common, and the golden crowned wren. Indeed it would be an endleſs taſk to point out all the miſtakes that are to be met with in authors who have wrote on this ſubject. It is evident that they could have but an imperfect knowledge of ornithology, and were obliged to copy from others, who probably themſelves wrote from ſpeculation, and not from experience. In the work itſelf, the reader will find I have been very particular in this point, and have advanced nothing but what is real truth, and will bear the ſtricteſt examination. I will not, however, preſume to ſay that it is abſolutely perfect; but I think I may with propriety—with juſtice aſſert, that it will be found more complete and more accurate and than any other hiſtory of Britiſh birds that has yet appeared in our language.
Tho' I have taken the liberty to point out a few miſtakes in the above mentioned writers, far be it from me to deprecate their labours: their works are truly valuable, and of great worth to the public. There are however many errors and many inaccuracies which want rectification in the writings of almoſt all our natural hiſtorians. It were therefore ſincerely to be wiſhed, that the naturaliſts would write with more exactneſs, more faithfulneſs and preciſion, as nothing is more rare than to find accuracy in their deſcriptions, novelty in their account of facts, or delicacy in their obſervations.
The author of this new performance has taken care not to ſplit upon this rock, nothing is aſſerted inconſiſtent with reaſon, or incompatible with truth; he has had a ſtrict regard to facts, and endeavoured to be accurate, particular, and copious in all his obſervations &c. and at the ſame time as entertaining as poſſible.
∴ This work will be ready for publication in a few months: thoſe therefore, who are deſirous of being poſſeſſed of a complete and entertaining Hiſtory of Britiſh Birds, may then purchase it at a very reaſonable price, as the bulk of the whole work, according to the beſt calculations, will not exceed two volumes in octavo.
↑ * Viz, in my Ornithology.
