liO Tlir, 1,V1;KTA1I,KI) (JdAT-SrcKF.K. 



lonii, tlic Click chaffers rise iVum llic nrniiiul, and, takiii.n' to llinlit, settle ii]i<iii tlie trees and 

 (le\iuir tlie i'oliaji'C just as they luul jirevitiusly led upon the rncits. Soiiieliiiies a wliole 

 series of ti'ees may ho seen, wliieli have been entirely striiiped el' tlu>ir leaves by the 

 ehalVers. I well remeinlier seeiiiij; a row of trees that extended aloni; a enuntiy roaxl near 

 l)ie]i]ie, that had been totally despoiled of their foliage, and which stretelied their naked 

 branches abroad as if they had been blasted by the destroying breath of the Simoom. 



'I'he Nii;htjar also feeds on moths of various kinds, and eatches them by sweepin"; 

 qniekly and silently among the branches of the trees near which the moth tribes most 

 love to congregate. Whih^ engaged in their sport, they will occasionally settle on a bank, 

 a wall, a ])ost, or other I'onvenient perch, crouch downward until they bring their head 

 almost on a level with their fe(>t, and iitlcr the ]ieeuliar churning note whicli has earned 

 for them the nanu' of t'hnrn-Owls, ,Iar-()\vls, and Spinners. 1'heir cry has \n\'u rather 

 well compared to that scmnd which is ])roduci'(l by the larger beetles of the night, but of 

 course much louder, and with the addition of the characteristic "chur-r-r! — chur-r-r ! " 

 Sometimes, although but seldom, the Nightjar utters its cry while on the wing. When it 

 settles, it always seats itself along a branch, and almost invariably with its head jiointing 

 towards the trnidc of the tree. 



'I'liere is also a strange stpieaking sound which is emitted by the Nightjar while 

 litaying round the trees at night, and which is sujiiioscd to be a ciy of playfulness, or a 

 call to its mate. 



Although rather a shy bird, and avoiding Ihe presence of mankind, it is bold enough 

 on occasion, and when it tinds an abundance of food, or when it desires to defend its 

 young, it cares little for any strange form, whether of nuvu or beast, t^n one occasion, 

 while I was travelling to Paris by railway, a Nightjar act'ompauied us for a considerable 

 distance, hunting after Ihe tlies that are so jilentifully attracted by a moving train of 

 railway cai'riages. Sliould an intruder come too near its nest, the Nightjar will sweep 

 repeatedly over his liead, producing a sharp ruffling soiind, intended to terrify him, and 

 formed, as some sirpposed, by striking the wings smartly together over the hack. 



Unlike the Falconida\ the Goat-sucker catches its jirey, not with its claws, but with its 

 mouth, and is aided in retaining them in that very wide recejitai'le, by the glutinous 

 secretion with whicli it is lined, iind the " vibrissa^ " or hair-like feathers which surround 

 its margin. On an examination of the foot of this bird, the claw of the middle toe is 

 seen to be serrated like the ti'ctli of a comb, a structure whicli has never yet been 

 satisfactorily explained, notwithstanding the various theoi-ies wdiich liave been put 

 forward conccu'iiing its use. The hind toe of each foot is very mobile, and can be 

 brought round to the remaining toes, so that all the claws take their hold in the same 

 direction. Apiiarently, this structure is intended to enable them to run along the 

 branches of trees, in their nocturnal chase alter beetles and other insects. 



This bird is spread over ]*'urope, and has been captured in Africa, \\hither it retires in 

 order to pass the ^\•inter. Specimens have been taken in Ireland, and 1 on'ce saw one of 

 these birds which bad heen shot close to Oxford. 



The Nightjar makes no nest, but choosing some .sheltered hollow under the shade of a 

 grass tuft, a bunch of fern, bramble, or other defence, tlu're lays two eggs on the bare 

 gixamd. The colour of the egg is grevisli-wliite, ])leutifully mottled with pale butf and 

 grey. The young are very similar to those of the eiu-koo. The plumage of the Nightjar 

 is very rich in its colouring, the tints of buff, grey, black, white, brown, and chestnut, 

 being arranged in pleasing but most intricate patterns, and easier to be understood from a 

 pencil illustration than a description of the pen. The sexes are very similar in their 

 plumage, but the male may be distinguished from his mate by a number of oval white 

 spots which are found on the inner sid(> of the first three i|uill feathers of the wings, and 

 upon the outside quill feathers of the tail. The length of the adult bird is about ten 

 inches. 



A VEKY remarkable I'orni of plumage is seen in the Lyee-tailed Goat-sucker. 

 This beautiful bird is a native of Columbia, and is«iiotable for the extraordinary 

 development of the outer tail feathers. Although the bird itself is by no means large, very 



