42 BIRD LIFE GLIMPSES 



which natural selection might easily go on towards 

 perfection. As I did make out the bird, at last, 

 there is clearly more to be done. It is, perhaps, 

 just possible that we already see in the nightjar 

 some steps towards a special resemblance. The 

 bird is especially numerous in Norway, as I was 

 told when I was there ; and Norway is one great, 

 pine forest. However, not knowing enough in 

 regard to its habitat, and the relative numbers 

 of individuals that resort to different portions 

 of it, to form an opinion on this point, I will 

 suppose, in the meantime, that its colouring has 

 been made generally protective, in relation to its 

 incubatory habits ; for the eggs are laid on the 

 ground, and commonly at the foot of a tree, 

 stump, or bush — in the neighbourhood of such 

 objects, in fact, as have a more or less brownish 

 hue. 



It is during incubation that the bird would stand 

 most in need of protection, since it is then exposed, 

 more or less completely, for a great length of time. 

 One bird, as far as I have been able to see, sits on the 

 eggs all day long, without ever once leaving them. 

 Day, however, is night to the nightjar, who not 

 only sits on its eggs, but sleeps, or, at least, dozes, 

 on them as well. Drowsiness may, in this case, 

 have meant security both to bird and eggs ; for the 

 most sleepy individuals would, by keeping still, 

 have best safeguarded their young, at all stages, as 

 well as themselves, against the attacks of small 

 predatory animals. Flies used often to crawl over 

 the face of the bird I watched daily. They would 

 get on its eyes ; and once a large bluebottle flew 



