Anglesey 



does not breed south of Denmark. It is a mighty 

 traveller, and of practically world-wide distribution. 

 The bird was last seen by me on its northward 

 passage on the Menai Straits on the 28th May. 



About halfway to Penmon, we went to inspect 

 the spot where, in July, 1902, we started a nightjar 

 from a patch of furze and bracken which lies above 

 a line of low sand cliffs. The bird is held to return 

 year by year to the same spot to breed, but, although 

 we searched well in the surrounding cover, we failed 

 to discover our bird again. 



Upon the occasion mentioned, the nightjar kept 

 cover until we were close beside her, then rose with 

 a low startled cry, and fluttered in an erratic way 

 with drooping wings and tail above the furze, after- 

 ward dropping suddenly to earth in the open a few 

 yards before us. There she crouched close to the 

 ground, facing us and a blazing sun behind us, a 

 handsome bird sharply mottled all over with light and 

 dark browns upon grey, but with something uncanny 

 in her owl-like face a creature of the night juddenly 

 driven into the sunlight, with a dreamy, uncertain 

 look in its great brown eyes, as if unable to see 

 properly through excess of light. When we ap- 

 proached it, it rose with an owl's noiseless flight, 

 and, fluttering in the same uncertain manner, uttered 

 a succession of low clucks as it passed over the spot 

 in the furze from which it had at first risen, then 

 dropped to earth again, dragging itself silently, but 

 in the most distressing manner, along the ground. 



