HAHDWICKE'S SCIE N C E- G O SSIP. 



THE FERN-OWL, OR NIGHT-JAR. 



(Caprimulgus Europaus.) 



THIS little, half-alien bird, which has as many 

 names in the different counties of England as 

 the gipsies have in the various countries of the 

 world, presents us with peculiarities sufficient to 

 excite our curiosity and attention. Many years 

 back we found a fern-owl lying dead in the path of 

 one of the oak-woods in which our part of England 

 abounds, and an old beldame we met had the honour 

 of giving us our first ornithological lecture, by 

 observing that the creature had the widest mouth 

 but the smallest bill of any other bird; she might 

 have added that it has also the finest moustache, for 

 such is the fact, and possibly the largest eye, size 

 for size. The moustache is in the shape of a row of 



Fig. 2. Comb-like struc- 

 ture of middle toe of 

 Night-jar. 



Fig. 3. Pectinated claw 

 of Squacco Heron. 



Fig. 4. Pectinated toes of 

 Black-cock. 



about seven tapering, stiff bristles, with a few 

 smaller ones, projecting from the upper mandible on 

 each side, no doubt facilitating the prehension of 

 the night-moths and other insects on which the bird 

 •feeds. It has been thought that it is to preen these 

 bristles that the curious organization of the nail of 

 ■the long middle toe (fig. 2) is adapted. Gilbert 

 White believed that he had seen the bird catch its 

 prey with its foot, and thence deliver it to its mouth, 

 and it was to hold this prey securely that he was 

 disposed to look for the use of the part in question. 

 Wilson supposes this pectinated claw not only to 



act as a comb for the moustache, but also that it is 

 used to clear the animal of vermin about the head, 

 where the beak cannot come. It has also been 

 supposed to separate the elytra of the beetles which 

 the animal swallows ; but we have found the bird's 

 gizzard stuffed with beetles of the largest size, and 

 which still retained both their elytra and heads ; 

 others have supposed that the pecten has its princi- 

 pal or sole use in perching, and we suspect this to 

 be nearer the truth. It is well known that the bird 

 mostly flies at twilight or early dawn, and that it is 

 dazzled and confounded in broad daylight, though it 

 has the power of covering its eyes with the membrana 

 niditans or third eyelid. In the daytime it may be 

 almost caught with the hand, so confused is it. 

 Last summer but one a night-jar which had been 

 aroused in the middle of the day fell into the tender 

 of an engine at the Trentham Station, and was kept 

 alive some days. It was noticed in the living bird, 

 and, indeed, as much has beeu noticed before, that 

 it did not perch crossways on a stick, but length- 

 ways ; and still further, that in perching the feet 

 were placed one before the other, and not side by 

 side. We find that the hind toe is not, as is often 

 described, reversible, but that it is neither directed 

 backwards, as in most birds, nor forwards, as in that 

 somewhat similar species the Swift, but inwards, 

 much like a thumb, and therefore well adapted to 

 cling to a bough, on which the bird may be often 

 seen longitudinally crouching, the head depressed, 

 and the tail somewhat elevated, and watching the 

 insects flying about at the circumference of the tree. 

 It appears to us that the pectinated nail is well 

 placed and adapted for facilitating perching in the 

 way mentioned, especially as the legs are but weak 

 for the size of the bird. In a stuffed night-jar or 

 podargue, from Tasmania, in my possession, the 

 bird has stronger legs, with the toes directed as in 

 most birds, also large moustaches, yet the claws are 

 not pectinated. Some of our owls are said to have 

 the middle claw pectinated, but the leg of a brown 

 owl which I have by me has a strong cutting edge 

 to the claw. The herons and bitterns have the claw 

 pectinated, as is seen in the drawing (fig. 3) of a 

 Squacco heron, which was shot a few months back 

 in North Staffordshire. In these waders it appears 

 less apparent than in the Night-jar, what is the use 

 of the part, — possibly to secure the foot a little on 

 the slimy stones, or it may be to comb or preen the 

 occipital and gular tufts. 



Itis well known that the Black-cock and the Caper- 

 caillie are the only two species of the European 

 Grouse family which ever perch on trees : they have 

 not the claws pectinated, but they are peculiar in 

 having the sides of all the toes fringed or pectinated 

 in a very curious and regular manner, by means of 

 horny processes, much after the same plan as the 

 nail of the Eern-owl (fig. 4). A kind friend, a 

 sportsman, who has procured for me fern-owls, as 



