This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 edition. Excerpt: ...a darker brown, with pale edges; the tail is rather longish, and the middle feathers are somewhat longer than the rest; the throat and fore part of the neck are white; the breast and sides tinged with brown: the belly the same, but much lighter, the middle almost approaching to a silvery white. The legs and toes appear to have been of a brownish yellow. The stuffed specimen from which the above figure was made, was obligingly presented by Mr. Yarrell to the Newcastle Museum, in 1827. This shy and solitary bird is seldom seen, as' it keeps itself during the day mostly hidden among the cparse herbage, or the reeds and rushes which grow by the rills that ooze out of the moist or boggy grounds which it generally frequents. The author never but once saw what he believes to have been this bird, nor ever heard its song; but this last has been well described to him by others whose business led them to be out at the break of day. These, though unlearned naturalists, were keen observers, and the wild quadrupeds and birds in their neighbourhood did not escape notice, and among others this bird and its charming song. Their report was, that they never heard it sing except in the twilight of a summer's morning; but others are said to have heard it at the close of the evening. From its being so seldom heard, it is believed that it does not visit this country every year. There can be little doubt that it is the very bird whose song has sometimes been mistaken in the north of England for that of the Nightingale. Latham, who seems not to have known much about it, says it builds its nest among reeds, supported by three of their branches: it is of a downy texture; the eggs, five in number, are of a pale yellowish brown, speckled with minute spots. THE...