376 THE NIGHTJAR 



younger brobd. The fact that in the wild state eggs and young are 

 found late in the season point to the probability of a second brood 

 being customary. 



The nightjar will seek to draw the attention of an intruder from 

 its young by feigning to be injured. It will do this, not only on the 

 ground, but in flight. Its behaviour on such occasions is subject, as 

 might be expected, to considerable variation. One bird may be more 

 courageous or feel more strongly than another. Again, a bird dis- 

 turbed during the heat of the day, when drowsy, is not likely to show 

 as much energy as in the evening, when wide-awake and full of 

 vitality. Much also depends upon the weather conditions, which 

 often have an extraordinary effect upon the spirits of birds. No 

 description, therefore, of an act of feigning injury will apply to all 

 cases, but the general features remain much the same. A fairly 

 typical account is the following, given by a French ornithologist. A 

 hen bird that he disturbed from a nest with young flew off suddenly, 

 and dropped almost immediately to the ground. On being approached 

 it again flew off, " as if wounded," and again alighted on the ground, 

 where it remained with its wing spread out, the tip touching the soil. 

 The convulsive movements of the shoulder made it appear as if the 

 bird were doing its best, but in vain, to raise the wing. Nearer 

 approach caused it to resume its halting flight until close to a small 

 oak, when it dropped the pretence, and finally alighted lengthwise on 

 a bough. On a second occasion the same bird, after starting away in 

 broken flight and alighting as before, returned and hovered near the 

 intruder, uttering a harsh note. 1 



This account describes three distinct movements of the bird, the 

 feigning on the ground, the feigning in the air, and the hovering 

 about the intruder. 



The feigning on the ground has been somewhat differently 

 described by Mr. Selous in the case of a bird, which he took to be the 

 hen. When disturbed by his approach to the young, she "used 



1 Revue Francaise d'Ornithologie, 7 Avril 1910, p. 186 (R. Reboussin). 



