[Illustration]
Motacilla Luscinia major, LINNÆUS; Le Grand Rossignol, ou La
Progné[84], BUFFON; Der Sprosser, BECHSTEIN.
Naturalists make this bird only a variety, or at most, only a species of
the common nightingale; but I find points of difference so numerous and
so striking, that I think it right to make it a distinct species. 1. It
is larger by an inch and a half in length, being six inches and a half,
of which the tail, also half an inch longer, occupies two and
three-quarters; 2. The head is larger, and the beak is thicker; 3. The
colours are different; 4. The song is different. With respect to gait,
manner, habits, and the like, it is true there is a resemblance, which
exists, however, only in common with the white-throats, and the
blackcap, which have never been considered as varieties of the
nightingale.
The upper part of the body is a dusky brownish grey; the throat is white
bordered with black; the breast is brown, with darker spots; the belly
dirty white; the wings are deep brown, edged with dirty red; the tail
and its upper large coverts dirty maroon, deeper than in the common
nightingale; the whole plumage, in short, is generally and in all parts
deeper and darker.
OBSERVATIONS.--The difference in the song is very remarkable. The
greater nightingale has a much stronger, louder, and deeper voice;
but it sings more slowly and more unconnectedly; it has not that
astonishing variety, those charming protractions, and harmonious
conclusions of the common nightingale; it mutilates all the strains;
and, on this account, its song has been compared to the
missel-thrush, to which, however, it is superior in softness and
pureness. The common nightingale is superior in delicacy and variety,
but inferior in force and brilliancy. The greater nightingale sings
generally in the night, so that it is the real night-singer; while
among nightingales this is rather uncommon. Its voice is so loud that
it is almost impossible to bear it in a room. It is necessary to keep
it always outside the window, either by hanging its cage there, or by
opening from it a sort of passage into which it can remove.
Its call is also very different; _hi! glack arrr!_ It seems also to
pronounce _David, Jacob_, and generally begins its song by the latter
word. If the song is complete, it consists of the following strains:--
_Guia, gu, gu, gu.
Hajai, hajai, dzu, dzu, dzu, dzu.
Gorgué, guéguéguéguéguéh,
Hoa goigoigoi gui.
Dzicka, dzicka, dzicka.
Davitt, davitt, davitt.
Gogock, gogock.
Guedum, guedum, guedum, guedum, gueï!
Gai, goi, goi, goi, guirrrr.
Golka, golka, golka, golk.
Hia, guiaguiaguiaguia.
Glockglockglockglockglockglock.
Gueai, gueaigueai gui!
Goi, guaguaguagua guagui.
Heid, heid, heid, heid hi.
Voi dada! voi dada!
Gai, gai, gai, gai, guirr, guirr.
Hoi, gueguegue gui.
Hoi goi._
This bird is not found in any part of Thuringia. There are some in
Silesia, Bohemia, Pomerania, near Wittenberg, Halle, and Dessau; but
in Austria, Hungary, and Poland, they are in some districts more
abundant than the common nightingale[85]. They generally settle among
the bushes of the hills and plains, and especially near rivers. When
caged they are fed like nightingales. They are less delicate,
however, and live much longer.
They are chiefly brought from Vienna to Thuringia, whence they have
the name of Vienna Nightingales. Some people make a business of
fetching them from Hungary, in the beginning of April, where they buy
them cheap, in order to sell them very dear, in Saxony and other
remote provinces. Those from Hungary are preferred to the Polish. A
distinguishing characteristic is, that they first pronounce the
_davitt_ or _jacob_ only once when they call; while the second repeat
_davitt_ many times in succession.
At Thorn, and all along the Vistula, where the common and the large
nightingale equally abound, the latter is called the Polish
Nightingale, and the former, the Nightingale of Saxony. The nest of
the greater nightingale is built like that of the nightingale; but
the eggs are larger, and of an olive brown, with dark shades.
These birds are caught like nightingales; their diseases, also, are
similar; but they appear to suffer still more when moulting; they
become dull and ill, and often die under it. It is usual to give them
at this crisis some spiders, and the grubs which gnaw wood; what,
however, after many experiments, appears most salutary, is the Golden
Tincture of Halle[86], one or two drops of which are poured into the
drinking-trough.