PERCHING BIRDS. 171 
permission. The hollow limbs of the old oaks in the 
forest are also chosen, though but very seldom. 
The heathy character of our forests and parks is very 
favourably adapted to the habits and requirements of 
the Nightjar (Caprimulgus Europeus), and during its 
brief visit it is here numerously distributed. Its common 
appellation is the fern-owl, for its jarring note is well 
known to every one; but yet few are familiar with its 
form, or would recognise in the day, the bird which they 
have chiefly seen darkly glancing in the dim and fading 
twilight, or perhaps only heard. It seldom makes its 
appearance in the daytime, but even then it does not 
exhibit that half sleepy, half stupid character which 
some of our other nocturnal birds do. I have met with 
it when it has been perched in its usual position length- 
wise on a bough; when basking on a grassy bank in the 
sunshine ; and once when busily engaged in half burying 
itself in a patch of loose dry sand ; and on each occasion, 
although it allowed me to approach within a short dis- 
tance, it showed itself quite awake to its own safety. 
At one time I attributed this fearlessness to stupidity, 
and meeting one day with one sitting on a grassy ride 
in the forest, it allowed me to approach so closely that I 
flattered myself I could effect its capture, and accord- 
ingly pounced on it with hat in hand. It took wing in 
a moment, settling again about a dozen yards further 
on, when I repeated my experiment with a like result, 
and then came to the conclusion that I was the more 
stupid of the two. 
The nightjar is one of our latest visitors, generally 
arriving about the middle of May, though, like many 
other of our migratory birds, its arrival is hastened or 
retarded by atmospheric causes. I have seen them as 
