The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-11-13
FACTS ABOUT NleH1INeALEs.
interesting Remarks About Birds Thas
Sing While People Sleep.

Interesting Remarks About Birds Thae
Sing While People Sleep.
Nightingales range in price from fifteen
to twenty and twenty-five dollars The
true nightingales are the birds from Ger
many. The season for them IN the bird
stores is from October to May. A bird
dealer says:
The prevailing opinion is that the bird
is delicate and seldom lives long in a cage.
This opinion is contrary to the facts. Not
only does he nightingale live in cage for
many years, bat be grows stronger and
sings better constantly; and there are
many authentic cases of the birds breed
ing and rearing its young while so con-
fined. When properly cared for the bird
will live for fifteen years; and there are
cases on record of 3 bird having lived
twenty-five years.
Within the past few years it has be-
come fashionable to have one or more Of
these birds in a house. Lovers of bird mu-
sic have learned how 10 care for them so as
TO elicit from the nightingale most charm
ing harmcnies. He has a natural song
and, ike the American mocking bird, IS
also mimic His cage may hang by itself,
but the more singers there are in the same
room for him to contend with and surpass
the wider will be his range of voice. Each
country has it's nightingale. America has
the red Virginia nightingale. The hedge
singers, or tree nightingales OF Africa, aud
the beautiful and very lively nightingale
of China, are all fine songsters and whis-
tiers.
The nightingale is fond Of an abun-
dance of hearty food. and likes variety,
making no objection 10 a dinner say of
four, five or six courses. As he is a soft
bill bird his regular diet should be pre-
pared food-usng first a bottle Of the
moist food, and then a box OF the dry
Both of these should have fresh grated
carrot mixed with them, and also one-half
teaspoonful of ants eggs that have been
soaked. Meal worms, beetles and spiders
are given daily. Some raw beef scraped
fine should be given them. II insects are
scarce, feed currants mixed in the food.
Gravel should be supplied.
The whole of the upper part of the bird
is brown, the breast dull white shading
into brown, and the throat and belly a
pale gray, the tail reddish brown, long and
rounded The full length of the bird is
six and a half inches He is imported
from England and Germany, most of the
NOuiih- AiOAh OCA ieAAls AAtH
ever, the nightingale is met with all over
Europe, from Sweden to the Mediterra-
mean: also in central Asia and in the mid
die of Siberia. Spain is fortunate in hav-
ing great mum bers; their voices are heard
from every bush and hedge. The declivi-
ties of San Morena have been described as
the nightingale garden.
The flight of the bird is undulatory,
though light and rapid, but for a short
distance. That these birds, however, are
capable of great exertion while On the wing
must be evident 10 any one who has wit
messed the endeavors of two contending
rivals to drive each other from the field.
''The nightingales nest about the middle
of April. After that they are in constant
song. Some pour forth their trilling notes
through the long, bright night, just as the
mocking birds whistle during the moon
light nights of springtime and early sum-
mer. However, generally they sing only
in the daytime, except during the breeding
season, when the desire to please and at
tract their mates renders the male birds
excited and restless.
The nest is built of leaves, dried grass,
bits of bark and roots, lined with finer
grass and horsehair loosely put together
and placed in some hollow in the ground
in the root or stump of tree. There are
five eggs in a nest, and one nest in a sea
son, unless the eggs or the young are de-
stroyed, in which case there is another
batch laid The molting season begins in
July, after which, when the birds are in
new full plumage, the autumn migrstions
begin. They travel in families or small
parties. They journey to distant lands,
returning to Europe in April The male
shows himself two weeks earlier than the
female. They generally seek their former
haunt.-New York Evening Sun.