RD . Animal Life 
near approach; even then their protective coloration, as with extended neck they lie 
flat on the ground, no doubt more often than not causes them to escape observation. 
It is a striking example of attitude combining with colour and markings to secure 
immunity from detection; the only conspicuous feature is the large yellow eye, which 
is, however, as rigidly still as the rest of the bird, as may be seen in the photograph 
of the two fully-fledged young (page 31). They remain near where they were hatched 
for several weeks, attended and fed by the parent birds; it is said that they eat the 
black and yellow caterpillars of the cinnaba: moth, which appear to be exempt from 
the attack of most imsect-eating birds; if so they find abundance of food near at hand, 
for these caterpillars swarm on the vagwort all over the district. But the stone- 
curlew is chiefly a night-feeding bird, and its weird cries may be then heard as it 
wends its way to the rich feeding grounds in the damp valleys of the rivers Lark 
and Ouse. 
Not less interesting than these birds, but of an entively different character, 1s the 
Nightjar. There are probably few places where it is to be found in such numbers as 
in this part of Norfolk and Suffolk; every fir belt will have its two or three pairs, every 
solitary tree on the heaths may shade the home of one, every healed-up cavity in the 
hillsides where gravel has been dug imay be tenanted, or it may be found on an 
absolutely level part of the Breck away from trees or bushes of any kind. No semblance 
of a nest is made, not even a hollow; the eggs, two in number, are Jaid on the bare 
ground; they are protectively coloured, but on quite a different plan to those of the 
birds before mentioned. They are marked with large irregular lilac and brown blotches 
on a muilk-white ground, the size and irregularity of the markings having the peculiar 
effect of breaking the outline of the eges and so causing them to assunilate with 
their usual surroundings. The latter are generally dead sticks and leaves under trees, 
and, especially in this district, fir cones and fir needles on the outside of the belts. 
But the nightjax’s real protection is its own wonderful resemblance to these surroundings ; 
consequently it does not leave its eggs at the first approach of an intruder, but. sits 
close and motionless, depending on its protective coloration to escape observation, leaving 
the eggs only as a last resort if the near proximity of its disturber makes it 
dangerous to remain, when it will go off with soft, noiseless flight. If it has young 
it will pretend to be injured and flap in an apparently helpless manner along the 
ground, endeavouring to attract attention from its young to itself. The newly-hatched 
young are covered with a hairy down, pale ochreous brown in colour; along either 
side of the front part of the head, in continued lines with the edges of the short 
bill and extending to above the eyes, the down is recurved, and is succeeded by 
similarly-curved feathers. These curved feathers are inconspicuous in adults owing to 
those of normal form along the middle of the head overlapping them; but before 
these central feathers grow in immature birds the curved ones are most conspicuous, 
as may be seen in the photograph of the young birds reproduced on page 33. At 
least, @ may be seen when the birds themselves are discovered, for it must be 
admitted that this photograph is somewhat of a puzzle pictwre, but not by any 
means more so than was the actual subject in nature. 
After being once disturbed the young will be moved a few feet or yards from 
the original spot. 
The mghtjar hunts and feeds at dusk, flitting with ghostly flight to and fro 
along the fir belts, catching moths and other night-flying insects; its enormous 
mouth, fringed with stiff bristles, constituting a most effective entomological net. 
Nightjars have a curious habit of bringing their wings together with a sharp 
clap, and often when flying give utterance to a plaintive mewing cry; the familar 
churving note, heard only after dusk, is uttered when at rest in the characteristic 
