130 BIRDS OF MIDDLESEX. 



flies and moths, which cattle frequently disturb 

 from the grass, and which the Nightjar darts down 

 to seize as they fly round the legs of the sheep or 

 cow. 



A remarkable feature in the Nightjar is the pecti- 

 nated claw on the middle toe of each foot, the use 

 of which has been much disputed by naturalists. 

 By some it is said to be employed to grasp the 

 insects which are taken on the wing,* while others 

 maintain that the bird makes use of it " to comb 

 out the hairs set along the upper edge of the mouth 

 on each side, or to clear the delicate edges and 

 angles of the mouth from the sharp hooks on the 

 legs of insects." f 



In the parish in which I reside the Nightjar is a 

 very uncommon bird : during the last ten years, I 

 have only noted the occurrence of three specimens, 

 in each case in autumn. In the summer of 1852 a 

 pair were obtained, with two eggs, in Caen Wood, 

 Hampstead. The nest is very simple, placed on 

 the ground under shelter of an overhanging bush or 

 tuft of heather, and the eggs are oval, white, beauti- 

 fully marbled over with pale slate-colour and light 

 ash-brown. I have seen a handsome pair of Night- 

 jars which were shot in Scratch Wood, Edgeware- 



* White's ' Selborne,' Letter XXXVII. to Mr. Pennant, 

 and Atkinson's * Compendium of Ornithology,' p. 108, note, 

 f Yarrell's ' British Birds/ vol. ii., p. 284. 



