THE NIGHTJAR. 163 



The burring note, however, is only uttered when the 

 bird is at rest. Dresser (" Birds of Europe ") says : 

 " The whirring or churring note, something like that pro- 

 duced by a spinning-wheel, is uttered whilst the bird is 

 perched on a branch ; and when flying, it every now and 

 again strikes the points of its wings together, making a 

 sound which may be heard at a considerable distance, at 

 the same time uttering a whistling note. It is by some 

 observers said to possess the power of ventriloquism." 



Macgillivray also states (" British Birds/' vol. iii. p. 

 641) "that the whirring sound is made when at rest, 

 and the whistling when on the wing." Harting, in " Birds 

 of Middlesex," says : " I have heard the nightjar make a 

 different noise on the wing, which sounds like ' Wh-ip, 

 wh-ip;' but I have not satisfied myself whether this 

 sound proceeds from the bird's throat, or whether it is 

 caused by striking the wings above the back as its flies." 



A correspondent of the St. James's Gazette, writing about 

 the nightjar's note, says there are three distinct and totally 

 different notes : the burr, the cry, and the trill. As 

 regards the latter, he says : " The trilling note is very 

 peculiar. What I have seen is this : The two nightjars 

 are perched each on a separate gable of the house ; sud- 

 denly, first one, then the other, flies off with a loud slapping 

 noise, produced by striking the wings together over the 

 back. They sink slowly down with wings outspread, and 

 alight upon the gravel-path under my window ; they bow 

 and sidle to each other, and then is heard a long-drawn 

 and very musical bubbling note or trill, dying softly away 

 into silence. I had often heard this sound in the distance 

 and been puzzled by it, never dreaming that an amorous 

 nightjar could produce any note so soft and liquid. I 

 imagine it to be peculiar to the breeding season, and to be 

 produced by the male bird only." 



The bird, when seen close, is beautifully marked, and 

 very like the grey markings of an oak-bough. When 

 flushed it flies, if possible, to the nearest oak-tree, and 

 there sits on a branch horizontally ; and so like is the 

 plumage to the bark, that it is most difficult to discover 



