. 3102. BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR EGGS AND NESTS. 
peculiar, powerful, long-winged, whirling flight, or heard itsremark- 
able scream, would ever be likely to mistake when hesawit again. It 
is most frequently seen at no great distance from some old tower 
of castle or church, or such like building, although at times it 
‘seems to range far in search of food. It makes its nest of pieces 
of soft straw, bents or grass or hay and feathers, and usually in 
holes in the buildings aforesaid, or between the tiles and under- * 
roof of houses; and the nest once made is supposed to be used 
for many years in succession by the same pair of birds. It some- 
times seems as if it had been cemented together in some way. 
The Swift often lays only two eggs, but has been known to pro- 
duce three, and even four. They are quite white, and rather large 
for the size of the bird. 
144, ALPINE SWIFT—(Cypselus Alpinus). 
White-bellied Swift.—A bird which is known to have visited us 
on some half dozen occasions or so. 
TV.—CAPRIMULGIDZ. 
145. NIGHT-JAR—(Caprimulgus Europeus). 
Night Hawk, Goat-sucker, Dor Hawk, Fern Owl, Night Crow, 
Jar Owl, Churn Owl, Wheel-bird, Eve-churr, Night-churr, Puck- 
eridge.—Far more familiar to many of the comparatively few 
among country-dwellers who notice such matters, is the Night- 
jar by sound than by sight. Coming from its retirement but 
very little and very reluctantly by day, and only pursuing its 
prey towards and during twilight, it is not by any means an 
obtrusive bird; as little so, indeed, as any one of the Owls. But 
its loud churring or jarring note, as it wheels round a tree or 
clump of trees, is often enough heard by many a one to whom its 
form and size and plumage are nearly or utterly strange. It is, 
perhaps, most frequently met with where patches of furze and 
