Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-03-31
THE KING OF soNosTERs.
An Interesting Chapter Descriptive
of the characteristics Of
the Nightingale.

Every country has its nightingale, but
those OF Germany and England have
been pronounced the best in all re-
spects. Our nightingale is a red bird
called the cardinal g%rosbeak, or Vir-
gina nightingale, from the fact of 1t
having first been found in the state of
Virginia. The hedge singers or tree
nightingales of Africa and the beautiful
and very lively nightingale of China are
all fine songsters and whistlers, but the
English or German nightingale is ac-
counted the true nightingale and valued
far more highly than the others for its
song and long life, states the New York
Herald.
The price of a nightingale does not
seem so eXorbitant when it is considered
that his life varies from Is to rs years
with proper care. The king of song
sters" is very unpretending in appear
ance, as his color is not attractive and
his size is insignificant. The entire up
per part of the bird is brown, the breast
a dull white, shading into brown, and
hAo IhiOoI olu blCnol diC d pdlS e L dJt
while the tail is reddish brown, long and
rounded. His full length is about six
and half inches. The nightingales i'm
ported into this country come from
England and Germany, by far the larger
part of them coming from Germany.
They are to be found over the whole
continent of Europe, from Sweden to
the Mediterranean, and over a great por-
tion of Central Asia, as far north as the
middle of Siberia, and in the course Of
their migrations they visit western At
RIGA. Their favorite retreats and breed
ing places are in the woods, groves and
forests in the immediate vicinity of va
ter. In such localities these melancholy
but exquisitely musical songsters live,
each pair within it's special domain,
which, although small, is jealousy
guarded and boldly defended from in
trusion.
Some parts of Europe are especially
visited by the nightingale. Spain in
particular is extremely fortunate in at
tracing the songsters and in certain
districts their enchanting voices are
heard from every bush and hedge. The
declivities Of Sierra Moreno are truth
fully described as the nightingale gar
den, as iii there they flock by thousands
at the mating time.
The flight of the nightingale is I'M
dulatory. light and rapid and is rarely
sustained beyond a short. distance, but
it is capable of great exertion when ne
cessity compels. Those who have wit
messed two rival birds in their e~ndeavors
to drive each other from the field to win
a mate whom both contend for will testi-
fy to their great eXertion while on the
wing. 1t is about the middle of April
that the birds begin to arrive at their
nesting places. and at once their songs
are to be heard almost necessarily. Some
pour forth their thrilling notes through
the long, bright nights, just as the
American hooking birds whistle
through the moonlight nights of spring
time and early summer, but generally
they sing only during the daytime, ex-
cept during the breeding season, when
the desire to please and attract their
mates renders the male birds excited
and restless.
The nightingale's nest is made OF
leaves, dried grass, bits of bark and
sweet smelling roots. lined with finer
and softer grass and horsehair, loosely
put together and placed in a hollow in
the ground or among the roots or in the
stump of a tree. There are always five
eggs in a nest and there is only one nest
ina season unless the eggs or the young
are destroyed, in which case the mother
does not waste time in bemoaning her
fate, but proceeds at once to a second
laying of five eggs. The moulting sea-
son begins in July, after which, and
when the birds are in full new plumage,
the autumn m%igrations begin.
The departure is accomplished in
small families or parties, the birds fly
ing with great rapidity to far distant
countries. In April they reappear in
Europe, the males, s%ingularly enough,
about two weeks in advance of the fe-
males, and without delay, but with WON
derful memory, seek their former
haunts and greet their old homes with
joyous strains.
1t is the general belief that the night
ingale is a more than usually delicate
bird and does not live long in a cage but
the contrary is the fact, for not only
does it live long in captivity, but it grows
stronger and sings better constantly,
and there are m%ultitudes of cases of the
bird breeding its young while confined
in a cage.
The nightingale has a natural song,
and is also a fine mimic. The more sing
ers there are within its hearing to imi-
tate and contend with the wider will be
its range of song. 1t is a fact not gen.
orally known that in all countries where
singing birds are bred and captured for
sale, particularly the canary, a nightin-
gale is placed in a DON adjoining the
bird room where the canaries are con-
fined, and it is the nightingale's notes
which the other birds initiate and quick
ly learn when their little threats begin
to swell. Canaries thus taught have the
sweetest song and are most valuable.
Prescott and His Mother.
Prescott was not only well born, but