WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



Besides those already mentioned,! can only call to mind 

 two other birds that visit us for the breeding-season — the 

 cuckoo and the nightjar. 



The cuckoo, like the landrail, is connected in all my ideas 

 with spring and sunshine, though frequenting such a dif- 

 ferent descriptionof country;the landrail alwaysinhabiting 

 the mostopencountry,whilethecuckoo frequents thewood- 

 ed glades and banks of the rivers and burns; flitting from 

 tree to tree, alighting generally on some small branch close 

 to the trunk, or chasing each other, uttering their singular 

 call. So much has beenwritten respecting their habit of lay- 

 ing their eggs in the nest of some other bird, that I can add 

 nothing to what is already known. I n this country they seem 

 to delight in the woods on the hill-sides by the edge of loch 

 or river, where I constantly hear their note of good omen. 

 When the young ones are fledged, they remain for a week 

 or twoabout the gardens orhouses.perchingon therailings, 

 and darting off, like the fly-catcher, in pursuit of passing 

 insects. 



The nightjar is asummer resident here, building its nest 

 — or rather laying its eggs, for nest it has none — in some 

 bare spot of ground, near the edge of a wood, and seldom 

 quitewithin it. The eggs are of a peculiarlyoval shape. The 

 nightjar, during the daytime, will lieflat and motionless for 

 hours togetheron some horizontal branch of a treenear the 

 ground, or on some part of the ground itself which exactly 

 resembles its own plumage in colour. In this manner the 

 bird will allow aperson to approach nearlyclose to it before 

 it moves, although watching intently with its dark eye to 

 see if it is observed. If it fancies that you are looking at it, 



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