With the Nightjars 95 
direction. The photograph shows them before this dispersion, with the fresh egg- 
shells in close proximity. The next day the chicks were back in the same spot, but 
the tell-tale egg-shells had been taken clear away. On the 24th, I was looking for 
them again, and should have walked over them, but for the mother-bird rising 
up and flying off in the same manner as before. Then finding that her pretence of 
lameness made no impression upon me, she wheeled round close to me several times, 
wearing her most hawk-lke and threatening aspect, before settling upon the oak and 
flapping her wings, apparently in great distress. She called at intervals to the 
youngsters, but they made not the shghtest movement and might as well have been 
miuseun: specimens for all the signs of animation they gaye—from which I gathered 
that she was urging them to remain still. I contimued to visit this interesting family 
daily, and marked the rapid development of the young ones; but always the mother-bird 
went through the same tactics as on my previous visits. 
On the last day of July my daughter reported that the mghtjars were no longer 
in thew accustomed place. Searching for them next day, I found they had been 
removed to a spot among the heath-plants a few yards away. The old bird flew off 
in her usual manner and the young ones remained as still as stones. On taking them 
up to examine their plumage, they hissed at me with considerable vigour and expressive- 
ness. They were now quite covered with feathers, though a little down still remained, 
as well as the sheaths of the back feathers. To my surprise they stretched them long 
wings and flew off—one about thirty yards away, the other at least sixty yards, to the 
young oaks where its mother was sittmg. That was the last I saw of that family. 
One day, when wandermg over the hills among the heather and bracken, I 
started up a young nightjar. It fluttered before me to a little distance, then wheeling 
sharply to the right, it lay with half-extended wings across a bracken frond, looking 
YOUNG NIGHTJAR AMONG THE HEATHER. 
