12 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs. 



Family— CAPRIMUL GIDAi. 



The Nightjar. 



Capriiimlgux ciiropccus, LiNN. 



ALSO known as Goatsucker, Fern-owl, Churn-owl, Eve-jar, and Night-hawk. 

 It breeds throughout Europe and as far north as 63° N. lat. in Scandinavia 

 and West Russia ; also in South-west Siberia and eastwards as far as Irkutsk : in 

 Asia Minor, Palestine, the highlands of Persia, Turkestan, Afghanistan, and North- 

 west India. On migration it occurs in Sind, Arabia, Malta, North-east Africa, 

 aud the south of Spain. It winters in North-western and Southern Africa, having 

 been met with in the Cape, Natal, and the Transvaal : it is also believed that a 

 few pairs remain to breed in North-western Africa. 



To the British Islands this bird is a summer visitor, being most numerous in 

 the more southern counties of England than elsewhere ;* in Scotland, and especially 

 the inner western islands, it is fairly common, but to the Orkneys and Shetlands 

 it is a mere straggler, whilst on the Outer Hebrides it has only once been met 

 with. In Ireland it is local, but nevertheless occurs in suitable localities. 



The general colouring of the Nightjar is ashy-grey, varying to buff; the 

 feathers being barred and spotted with dark brown and cinnamon, and with blackish 

 shaft-lines which are most strongly defined on the head and scapulars ; the male 

 has broad white tips to the outer tail-feathers, and large white spots near the 

 centre of each of the three first primaries ; also a white patch on the cheeks and 

 on each side of the throat, whereas in the female these patches are buff: bill dark 

 horn ; feet horn-brown, middle toe pectinated ; iris almost black. 



In 3'oung birds the spots on the wings and tail are buff, and smaller than in 

 adults, whilst the pectination of the middle toe is not much developed. 



This bird does not seem to be exclusively limited to dry moorland, for in 

 1886 Mr. O. Janson and I heard its jarring purr night after night in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Ormesb}^ Broads, and now and then the so-called whoop of the 

 bird w^ould startle us as we stood listening to the incessant vibration ; whilst now 

 and again we caught a glimpse of one of these ghost-like creatures as it flashed 

 by on noiseless wing. When flushed, however, the Nightjar as it rises from the 



* Mr. G. T. Porritt, F.L.S., says that it is verj' common in all the moorland woods in Yorkshire. 



