152 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



districts which are grown with pine and heather, or with 

 oak and bracken ; the continuous churr, unexpectedly 

 brought to a stop as the bird shifts its position, to be 

 resumed again as it re-alights. After a minute, perhaps, 

 the note will sound doubly loud as another bird joins in, 

 then one of them leaves off, and the single churring 

 note continues, to stop suddenly, when all is silent. 

 Nor is it from their notes alone that Nightjars are 

 interesting birds, their extremely protective colouring, 

 and the rigid stillness with which they mimic their 

 inanimate surroundings, being perhaps even more 

 deserving of attention. 



The accompanying illustration of a Nightjar on its 

 eggs I obtained in Norfolk, and although with this 

 exception I have not introduced into my book any 

 photographs that were not taken either in the Canary 

 Islands or South Africa, yet the ground about the edge 

 of the forest at Knysna appeared to be so specially 

 adapted to the presence of these birds that the photo- 

 graph seems to fall naturally into place here. My 

 brother-in-law, who showed me the nest, and I, were 

 able to watch this bird at very close quarters ; she sat 

 quite still, and kept her eyes almost closed, just peeping 

 out of the two narrow chinks between her eyelids ; this 

 was done no doubt in order that the light, shining on 

 the glassy surface of her eyes, might not betray her 

 presence. 



There is one ruse adopted by this bird which seems 

 worth mentioning. After I had taken the photograph 

 of the Nightjar shown in the picture here reproduced, 

 I moved slightly nearer to the bird ; she made no sign 

 or movement, but was, I think, in doubt as to whether 



