380 CAPRIMULGIDjE. 



days become shorter, and information is wholly wanting as 

 to its behaviour in its tropical winter-quarters where twilight 

 lasts only a few minutes, as well as in the extreme limits of 

 its northern range where in summer the night is as light as 

 the day. It is, however, certain that the Nightjar, much as 

 may be its custom, when with us, to pass in slumber the 

 whole time that the sun is above the horizon, is far from 

 being incapacitated by the broad glare of noon, and, among 

 other witnesses to the fact, Sheppard and Whitear state 

 (Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 33) that they had twice seen it 

 hawking about in search of food at midday, upon one of 

 which occasions the sun was shining very brightly.* 



The presence of the Nightjar is made known to us almost 

 immediately on its return hither by its conspicuous habit of 

 chasing its prey in the twilight as already mentioned. As 

 the season advances the song, for so it must be called, of the 

 cock attracts attention from its peculiarity. This song seems 

 to be always uttered when the bird is at rest, though the 

 contrary has been asserted, and is the continuous repeti- 

 tion of a single jarring note which has been likened to 

 the noise made by many kinds of machinery in motion, a 

 spinning-wheel + among others. The sound can be easily 

 imitated by vibrating the tongue against the roof of the 

 mouth ; but the imitation, excellent as it may be close to the 

 performer, is greatly inferior in power, being almost inaud- 

 ible to any one twenty yards off, while the original can be 

 heard in calm weather for half a mile or more. It is uttered 

 at intervals, chiefly in the evening, and seldom lasts above 

 five minutes at a time, its duration being commonly only 

 from a minute and a half to two minutes. In hot weather 



* The elder Lambert noticed the fact (op. cit. iii. p. 13) of the bird taking 

 moths, to the annoyance of a practical entomologist, so late as ten o'clock at 

 night, but he omitted to mention the precise season of the year, or whether the 

 moon was shining. Its availing itself of the pursuits of entomologists has also 

 been elsewhere remarked (Zool. s s. p. 2660). 



t Hence come many of the local names of the species : — "Spinner," " Wheel- 

 bird," "Kightchurr " and perhaps "Churn-Owl *' — though this last may possibly 

 be a corruption of " Fern-Owl, " suggested by its nocturnal habits and its haunt- 

 ing places where brakes grow. 



