Birds and Birdnesting, 603 



the Pudmores, is the favourite resort of the fern owl. In the 

 daytime, while walking across the moor, you will every now and 

 then put up one of these singular birds ; their flight is per- 

 fectly without noise, and seldom far at a time : but of an even- 

 ing it is far different; about twenty minutes after sunset, the 

 whole moor is ringing with their cry, and you see them wheel- 

 ing round you in all directions. They look like spectres ; and, 

 often coming close over you, assume an unnatural appearance 

 of size against a clear evening sky. I believe its very pecu- 

 liar note is uttered sitting, and never on the wing. 1 have 

 seen it on a stack of turf with its throat nearly touching the 

 turf, and its tail elevated, and have heard it in this situation 

 utter its call, which resembles the birr of the mole-cricket, an 

 insect [figured Vol. II. p. 290.] very abundant in this neigh- 

 bourhood. I have almost been induced to think this noise 

 serves as a decoy to the male molecricket, this being occa- 

 sionally found in the craw of these birds when shot. Those 

 who may not be acquainted with the cry of the bird or the 

 insect, may imagine the noise of an auger boring oak, or any 

 hard wood, continued, and not broken off, as is the noise of 

 the auger, from the constant changing of the hands. The eggs 

 of the fern owl have frequently been brought me by boys : 

 they are only two in number, greyish white, clouded and 

 blotched with deeper shades of the same colour ; the hen lays 

 them on the soil, which is either peat, or a fine soft blue sand, 

 in which she merely makes a slight concavity, but no nest 

 whatever.* The first cry of the fern owl is the signal for the 

 night-flying moths to appear on the wing, or rather the signal 

 for the entomologist's expecting them. 



Habitat of the Blackcock and of the Lapwing,-^ From the 

 Pudmores, along the brows of the heath hills, towards Tilford, 

 and again fromTilford up to the Devil's Punchbowl onHindhead, 

 the black cock is found every year more or less abundantly ; 

 and the lapwing breeds throughout the district by thousands. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c. ^K' 



Godalming, July 28. 1832. RusTicuSi 



* Does this bird remove its eggs to another place when they have been 

 discovered? Audubon, in his Ornithological Biography y states having 

 himself witnessed the C'aprimulgus carolinensis to do this, and that the 

 male and female took each an egg in i*^s large mouth, and then they flew 

 off together. Mr. Hewitson, in the 7ih Number of his interesting British 

 Oology y figures, t. 30., the egg of the Caprimulgus europae^us L.y and quotes 

 Audubon's account of the C. carolinensis, that observers may ascertain if 

 C. europae^us also ever transports its eggs ; and for the same object it is- 

 that the question is here noticed. Since the above was printed, a farther 

 contribution towards the history of this bird has been received j see p. 674. 



