200 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



and not unlike that of the bat. Its eggs are 

 singularly beautiful, being of a very pale gray, 

 marked with large splotches of deep, rich brown 

 and ash colour. These are laid on the bare 

 ground on some wild waste place between the 

 patches of heath or bracken, and are but two in 

 number. Although a visitant, the nightjar is 

 rarely seen in this country before the middle of 

 May, but it remains with us until the end of Sep- 

 tember, and, in very mild seasons, for some weeks 

 later still. Two other varieties of this bird have 

 been noticed in this country, and so are included 

 in the list of British birds, viz., the rufous-naped 

 and the isabelline ; but, according to Colonel Irby, 

 only one occurrence of each has been recorded, so 

 their title to rank as British birds is somewhat 

 slender. 



From the nightjar we may well turn to the 

 owl tribe, and here again there are no fewer than 

 ten varieties which find a place amongst the birds 

 of this country. They are as follows : 



1. The white or barn owl (resident). 



2. The long-eared owl (resident). 



3. The short-eared owl (autumn to spring). 



4. The tawny or brown owl (resident). 



5. Tengmalm's owl (very rare wanderer). 



6. The snowy owl (rare wanderer). 



7. The hawk owl (very rare wanderer).* 



* I have been given to understand that the only specimen 

 of the European hawk owl which has been obtained in this 



