THE FERN-OWL. 89 



Mr. Markwich, which will serve to bring both the 

 naturalist and the bird before you in an inter- 

 esting point of view. 



" There is no bird, I believe, whose manners 

 I have studied more than that of the caprimul- 

 gus, as it is a wonderful and curious creature. 

 I have always found, that though sometimes it 

 may chatter as it flies, as I know it does, yet in 

 general it utters its jarring note sitting on a 

 bough. I have for many a half-hour watched 

 it as it sat, with its under mandible quivering, 

 and particularly this summer. It perches usually 

 on a bare twig, with its head lower than its tail. 

 This bird is most punctual in beginning its song 

 exactly at the close of day : so exactly, that I 

 have known it strike up, more than once or 

 twice, just at the report of the Portsmouth even- 

 ing gun, which we can hear when the weather is 

 still. It appears to me past all doubt, that its 

 notes are formed by organic impulse by the 

 powers of the parts of its wind-pipe, formed for 

 sound, just as cats purr. You will credit me, I 

 hope, when I assure you, that as my neighbours 

 were assembled in an hermitage by the side of a 

 steep hill, where we drink tea, one of the churn- 

 owls came and settled on the cross of that little 

 straw edifice, and began to clatter, and continued 

 his notes for many minutes. We were all struck 



