234 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



NIGHTJAR. Also GOATSUCKER. 



(Caprimulgus europceus.) 

 Order PICARLE ; Family CAPRIMULGID^: (GOATSUCKERS). 



Description of Parent Birds. 

 Length about ten and a half 

 inches. Bill very short, upper 

 mandible slightly turned down- 

 ward, flexible, and dusky black. 

 The gape is very wide, and furn- 

 ished on the upper side with a 

 number of stiff bristles. The 

 YOUNG N,GHTJARS. pliage on the upper part of the 

 body consists of a beautifully 

 diversified mixture of brown, black, rusty -red, 

 and white, spotted, and sprinkled with grey. The 

 under-parts greyish and rusty-brown, barred and 

 freckled with dark brown. There are a few white 

 markings round the throat. On the three first 

 quill-feathers of the wings is an oval white 

 spot, also on the two outside feathers of the tail. 

 Legs short, rough, scaly, and feathered to below 

 the knee. Middle toe considerably longer than 

 the rest, and the claw upon it is serrated on one 

 side ; all orange-brown. The female is somewhat 

 darker, and lacks the white markings on wings 

 and tail. 



Situation and Locality. On the ground beneath 

 furze bushes, brackens, heather, or quite in the 

 open on commons, heaths, open bramble-covered 

 woods and copses in nearly all suitable districts 

 throughout the British Isles, but not very numer- 

 ous anywhere. I have met with it most frequently 

 in the southern and eastern counties of England. 



