lf)2 



THE NIGHTJAR. 



Caprhnulgus europams L. 



Owing to its nocturnal habits and somewhat local distri- 

 bution, the Nightjar is by no means an easy species to 

 observe, and definite facts regarding its migrations are hard 

 to obtain. 



It seems fairly certain, however, that it first arrived in the 

 south-west about the first or second week in May and spread 

 northwards through Wales and the west of England. Its 

 numbers were augmented by a second arrival about May 

 the 17th. 



The breeding-birds of the eastern and south-eastern counties 

 seem to have arrived in Hampshire on May the 15th and to 

 have spread north and north-east from that county, reaching 

 Norfolk by the 19th. 



On May the 26th the birds in the eastern counties were 

 beginning to breed, and though there may have been a further 

 arrival in the west after that date, the numbers recorded 

 were so small that it was impossible to be certain. 



Chronological Summary of the Records. 



April 23. Hants (no further record till May 15). 



May 0. West Yorkshire (no further record till May 2Q). 



„ 10. Essex and Radnor. 



„ 12. Shropshire. 



„ 13. Somerset, Glamorgan and Radnor. 



„ 14. Glamorgan and Lancashire. 



„ 15. Hants, Surrey and Derby (usual numbers). 



„ 10. Surrey and Radnor. 



