NIGHTJAR. 



long again settled,' he says, ' on my grassy couch, 

 reflecting upon my wild, fantastic dream, when my atten- 

 tion was drawn to the singular wild, ringing strain of 

 the Fern Owl. It resembled at times the whirring, rapid 

 rotation of a wheel, now swelling, now diminishing, the 

 sound intermixed with ' kurring ' and * croaking ' noises, 

 some of them having a ventriloquial effect ; there was 

 now and then a sharp, unearthly kind of shriek ; pre- 

 sently there were the same sounds issuing from other 

 quarters of the wood, until the whole place was ringing 

 with the wild nocturnal notes. As day-break advanced, 

 I could see the Fern Owls (there were at least from four 

 to six birds) hawking for moths, chasing and pursuing 

 each other, and sweeping along with surprisingly sudden 

 turns and tumblings. As I sat motionless, with my 

 head just above the surface of the hayrick, I had a good 

 view of their proceedings ; the birds were continually 

 snapping at the numerous small moths which were 

 hovering over the heaps of hay. The birds are not very 

 shy when pursuing their prey, for they would glide along 

 close by me. Amidst the gloom one could see them 

 looming in certain positions, as a ship at sea is some- 

 times to be seen in the night-time. At times the Fern 

 Owls would suddenly appear close to me, as if by 

 magic, and then shoot off, like meteors passing through 

 the air. The spectral and owl-like appearance, the 

 noiseless, wheeling flight of the birds, as they darted by, 

 would almost persuade one that he was on enchanted 

 ground ; and I wished at the time that some of our 

 museum naturalists had been with me to have shared 

 the pleasure I felt at this nocturnal and beautiful scene 

 from nature.' " 



N 



