THE NIGHTJAR 
CAPRIMULGUS EUROPAUS 
Loca names in surrounding counties: ‘“ Night Hawk” 
(Essex). 
Sratus 1n British Avirauna: A common and widely 
distributed summer visitor to all districts suited to its 
needs; less numerous in Scotland and Ireland. 
Rapiat DistrinUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 
Paut’s: There are many suitable haunts for the Night- 
jar within the Metropolitan area, and the bird takes such 
an advantage of them that it is quite common in some 
parts of it. Probably the nearest haunt of the Nightjar 
to St. Paul’s is Hampstead. ‘Then amongst the more 
central suburbs I may mention as haunts Dulwich, Streat- 
ham and ‘Tooting Bec Commons, Ealing, Twyford, and 
Wembley. ‘The bird is very common in Richmond Park, 
also at Wimbledon, Coombe Wood, Bushey, Barnes 
Common, and the Kew, Osterley, and Hanwell districts. 
It becomes more local in the northern and eastern suburbs, 
but I can mention Elstree, Enfield, and Epping as haunts. 
There are many haunts of the Nightjar in Kent, amongst 
the Crays and elsewhere, and the bird again becomes 
exceptionally common in the Croydon area, especially in 
such spots as Shirley Heath. Continuing our way across 
Surrey again, the bird is common, and universally dis- 
tributed throughout the open woodlands, commons, and 
heaths to Banstead, Epsom, and Esher. 
The Nightjar is another late migrant, not reaching 
its London haunts until about the middle of May 
(although Mr. W. B. Tegetmier records its arrival at 
Finchley on April 28, 1g06—an exceptional occurrence) 
leaving them again in September. As the Nightjar is 
only abroad at dusk and during the hours of night, its 
actions are not very easily observed. Skulking during 
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