PERCHING BIRDS. 171 



permission. The hollow limbs of the old oaks in the 

 forest are also chosen, though but very seldom. 



The heathy character of our forests and parks is very 

 favourably adapted to the habits and requirements of 

 the Nightjar (Caprimulgus Europceus), and during its 

 brief visit it is here numerously distributed. Its common 

 appellation is the fern-owl, for its jarring note is well 

 known to every one ; but yet few are familiar with its 

 form, or would recognise in the day, the bird which they 

 have chiefly seen darkly glancing in the dim and fading 

 twilight, or perhaps only heard. It seldom makes its 

 appearance in the daytime, but even then it does not 

 exhibit that half sleepy, half stupid character which 

 some of our other nocturnal birds do. I have met with 

 it when it has been perched in its usual position length- 

 wise on a bough ; when basking on a grassy bank in the 

 sunshine ; and once when busily engaged in half burying 

 itself in a patch of loose dry sand ; and on each occasion, 

 although it allowed me to approach within a short dis- 

 tance, it showed itself quite awake to its own safety. 

 At one time I attributed this fearlessness to stupidity, 

 and meeting one day with one sitting on a grassy ride 

 in the forest, it allowed me to approach so closely that I 

 flattered myself I could effect its capture, and accord- 

 ingly pounced on it with hat in hand. It took wing in 

 a moment, settling again about a dozen yards further 

 on, when I repeated my experiment with a like result, 

 and then came to the conclusion that I was the more 

 stupid of the two. 



The nightjar is one of our latest visitors, generally 

 arriving about the middle of May, though, like many 

 other of our migratory birds, its arrival is hastened or 

 retarded by atmospheric causes. I have seen them as 



