176 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



and how sensible they seem of his good offices ; for they 

 neither strike at him nor try to drive him away as an 

 uncivil intruder. Were you to dissect him, and inspect 

 his stomach, you would find no milk there ; it is full of 

 the flies that have been annoying the herd." 



The haunts of the Nightjar are "open heaths and 

 wooded districts." In Ireland, however, it seems usually 

 to prefer hill-sides, with fern-clad rocks, to trees. I have 

 myself heard it in only three localities in this country, 

 viz.: Hill of Howth, near Dublin ; the Old Tramore 

 Road 'from Waterford ; and Pembrokestown, not far 

 from the town of Tramore. 



Mr. Ussher thinks that it is most common in Mun- 

 ster, where it is called " Toor-an-leen," " Flax Spinning- 

 wheel." 



I have frequently heard it in Wales along Menai 

 Straits, and at Llanfairfechan. 



Mr. Gosse gives an interesting description of " a night 

 with Fern Owls," as described by Mr. Thomas, the bird- 

 keeper at the Surrey Zoological Gardens, with which I 

 shall conclude an imperfect notice of this most interest- 

 ing bird. Mr. Thomas had taken a holiday, and in- 

 tended to spend a summer night in the open air many 

 miles away from London. He selected a haycock at 

 the edge of a wood as a fit resting-place, and then bur- 

 rowed down into the middle of the hay, just leaving his 

 head exposed for a little fresh air, and free for any 

 observation he might make under the light of the un- 

 clouded moon. " In such a soft, warm, and fragrant 

 bed, sleep soon overcame him, till he awoke with a con- 

 fused idea of elves, sprites, fairies, and pixies, holding 

 their midnight dances around him. ' I had not been 



