HABITS OF NIGHTJAR 37 



male was a little less moved. Still, he would fly 

 quite near, and often clap his wings above his back. 

 I cannot, now, quite remember whether the male 

 ever began by spinning over the ground, in the same 

 way as the hen, but, if he did, it did not last long, 

 and he soon took to flight. 



It will be seen from the above that the chicks are 

 very well able to get about. They run, indeed, as 

 easily, if not quite so fast, as a young duckling, 

 and this power is retained by the grown bird, in spite 

 of its aerial habits, for I have seen my two pursuing 

 one another over the ground with perfect ease and 

 some speed, seeming, thus, to run without legs, for 

 these were at no time visible. The ground-breeding 

 habits of the nightjar probably point to a time when 

 it was, much more, a ground-dwelling bird, and as 

 these habits have continued, we can understand a 

 fair power of locomotion having been retained also. 

 My own idea is that the nuptial rite is, sometimes 

 at least, performed on the ground, but of this I 

 have had no more than an indication.^ 



The nightjar utters many notes, besides that very 

 extraordinary one by which it is so well known, and 

 which has procured for it many of its names. I 

 have made out at least nineteen others ; but I do 

 not believe that any very special significance belongs 

 to the greater number of them, and I hold the 

 same view in regard to many other notes uttered 

 by various birds, which are supposed, always, to 

 have some well-defined, limited meaning. Each, no 

 doubt, has a meaning, at the time it is uttered, 



1 The pursuit, namely, just alluded to ; but the birds were soon 

 lost amongst the nettles. 



C 



