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branches, but lengthwise, one foot before the other, with his head 

 down and tail up, apparently on the look out for moths and beetles 

 flying about at the circumference of the tree. A pair I frequently 

 watched in the summer of 1879, near to Rickerby, in still warm 

 evenings commenced their churring note as regular as possible at 

 five minutes past nine. I took my stand close to the trunk of the 

 tree, and kept as quiet as possible. After the love song had gone 

 on for some time, what I took to be the male commenced his 

 swallow-like flight, and then his partner appeared; but I never 

 could make out exactly where she came from. The pair used to 

 fly in circles round the tree, sometimes to a good altitude, and 

 then make a sudden descent to the grass ; they toyed on a little 

 while, at times making a sharp snapping sound, which I thought 

 was made by striking their wings together over their back in play- 

 fulness, and then commenced to capture their prey. Their flight 

 is as noiseless as the owl's, and they sometimes dashed close past 

 me without the slightest noise. They appeared at times to make 

 a complete somersault, as if they missed the insect they were 

 after, as I noticed that in the twinkling of an eye they made a 

 downright dash to the ground always after. It is a beautiful sight 

 to watch this interesting and active bird in its varied flight, now 

 and then wheeling in graceful curves, upwards and downwards, 

 ever and anon suddenly reversing their wings and dashing back- 

 wards, picking up some passing beetle or inoth, or chasing some 

 insect it has missed on its way. They are birds very difficult to 

 observe, as the twilight darkens in so soon, and does not leave 

 you that time you would like to have to make correct observation. 

 The mouth of the Nightjar is enormously large, and shaded 

 with a moustache composed of long and strong bristles, which, 

 combined with the glutinous secretion with which the gape is lined, 

 evidently assist in the capture of the large moths. There is another 

 curious thing connected with this peculiar bird which has caused 

 much discussion amongst naturalists as to its use, and that is the 

 remarkable elongation of the claw of the middle toe, which has its 

 inner margin deeply pectinated, or rather I should say, a comb-like 

 process on it. Some say it is for the purpose of cleaning the 



