BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 205 



it is rather uncommon in the north and west of Ireland 

 and the northern half of Scotland, while it is absent from 

 the outlying islands of the latter countiy. Everywhere 

 it tends to be rather local on account of the kind of 

 country it prefers to haunt. Waste lands covered with 

 bracken or gorse serve it well enough, but it is especially 

 fond of the ' bosky glades "* of the English woodlands. 

 There it may be seen on a moonlight night in summer 

 flying gracefully and easily about, chasing the insects 

 which form its food. To catch these it has a wide 

 'gape' armed with bristles, the beak itself being 

 small. The mouth does not appear to be kept open all 

 the time, as in some birds similarly equipped. On a 

 darker night it is still quite capable of prosecuting its 

 hunting ; but we should be unable to detect its presence 

 if it were not for the varied sounds it emits. The male 

 is especially demonstrative in this respect, uttering at 

 one time a whistle, at another a vibrating 'chmT,' and 

 again light - heartedly clapping the wing-tips together. 

 Unlike many nocturnal creatures, the Nightjar by no 

 means shuns the light of day, but is quite fond of 

 basking in the sunlight. 



This bird is the latest of our summer visitors to 

 arrive, rarely putting in an appearance much before mid- 

 May. September sees the exodus almost at an end, but 

 a few stragglers sometimes linger later in mild districts. 

 Not long after its arrival, the Nightjar sets about the 

 serious business of the summei'. The eggs are laid on 

 the herbage or bare ground in such haunts as we have 

 described. The eggs are two in number and oval in 

 shape, both ends being equally rounded. They are 

 exceedingly beautiful in colour, having dark - brown and 

 bluish-gray blotching and veining on a creamy ground. 

 Against a natural carpet of dry bracken or dead leaves. 



