THE NIGHT-JAR 99 



another strange sound is often heard on our 

 hill-sides, a curious, long drawn-out, whirring 

 or jarring sound, difficult to describe, but very 

 like the noise made by drawing out the line on 

 a stiff fishing-reel, or, as some say, like the 

 sound of a spinning wheel. This is the night- 

 jar or fern owl, also foolishly called the goat- 

 sucker ; needless to say that for this last name 

 there is no ground whatever. It probably arose 

 from the wide gape of the mouth, which, with 

 its feathered fringe, is so admirably adapted for 

 its purpose of catching moths and other night 

 insects ; yet, silly and misleading as is this 

 name, it is surely extraordinary that it is still 

 to-day its sole scientific designation Capri- 

 mulgus, The claw of the middle toe is curiously 

 serrated, for what purpose seems doubtful ; but 

 as this bird invariably perches lengthwise on a 

 bough, and not across, possibly the saw-like 

 edges render the hold more secure. A simple 

 hollow in the ground serves it for a nest ; and 

 as soon as the young are ready for the long 

 voyage, they leave our inhospitable climate for 

 Africa. It is to be hoped that in these more 

 enlightened days few gamekeepers continue to 

 gibbet the 4 night hawk,' as they used to call 

 this pretty, harmless bird, among the criminals 

 of their 'vermin larder.' 



