1 64 THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



where to hide itself. The singular note of the 

 Nightjar once heard can never be forgotten or 

 mistaken for any other species. As it flies to and 

 fro an oft-repeated note like co-ic, co-ic is uttered, 

 but when the bird is at rest, either on a branch, a 

 fence, or even on the ground, the famous churring 

 cry is given forth. It may best be expressed as 

 r -r-r-r-r sounded with great speed and emphasis, 

 and often continues for several minutes together. 

 This bird breeds late, its eggs seldom being found 

 before the beginning of June. It makes little or 

 no nest, laying its two oval eggs upon the ground, 

 usually at the foot of a tree or under the shelter 

 of a bush or clump of fern. They are white, 

 beautifully mottled, veined, and clouded with dark 

 and light brown and gray. Only one brood is 

 reared in the season, and very soon after the 

 young are strong upon the wing preparations for 

 the great southern flight are made. It should be 

 remarked that the Nightjar is silent long before 

 it leaves this country in autumn. 



On the commons and the heaths of the more 



lowland counties we shall meet with another very 



woids, interesting bird, and that is the STONE CURLEW 



plains from (CEdicnemus crepitans}. He loves the dry and 



wilts! sandy heaths where the ground is rough and 



broken, not all covered with vegetation but varied 



by patches of bare pebbly soil. He is wary and 



watchful enough, and generally takes wing as 



soon as his haunts are invaded. The Stone 



Curlew is most active at night, and his loud cry 



may be heard at intervals all through the short 



hours of darkness during the summer months. 



Most of the birds are summer visitors only, but a 



few are said to spend the winter in the extreme 



