The Nightjar 13 



ground cracks its wings togctlier over its back (so Mr. 1-roliawk tells itio; making 

 a sharp loud noise. , ., 



Stevenson says that in Norfolk, " altliongli tin- enclosure of late years of 

 commons and waste lands has banished iIriii from many of their former haunts, 

 they are still common enongh on tlic wild heatliery districts in the western and 

 south-western parts of the county, as well as in tlie vicinity of the coast," and he- 

 adds : — " they are particularly partial to the vicinity of woods and plantations, 

 where, like other nocturnal feeders, they rest during tlie da}- if undisturbed ; 

 although, occasionally, as noticed by Messrs. vSheppard and Whitear, a single 

 example has been seen hawking for food on tlie wing in tlie middle of a bright 

 sunny day." 



Lord Lilford (Birds of Northamptonshire, pp. 242-3) observes ; — " In many of 

 the southern counties of England this bird is very common, and we have often seen 

 as many as a dozen individuals in a summer evening's stroll in various parts of Devon- 

 shire, whilst the air resounded with their curious note, which is difficult to describe, 

 but has been compared to the sound of a spinning-wheel. We have occasionallj'' 

 noticed the Nightjar during this performance, which appears alwaj^s to be produced 

 whilst the bird is at rest ; but these birds frequeutl}- utter a verj' different note 

 whilst flying, which the editor of the fourth edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds' likens 

 to the swinging of a whip-thong in the air.* This species generally arrives in this 

 country in the first fortnight of Ma3% we have found eggs on the 21st of that 

 month : no nest is made, the eggs being laid on the bare ground, and the same 

 spot used year after year. So much do these birds adhere to their favourite 

 nesting-haunts that, on one occasion, in Merionethshire, on asking a lad if he 

 knew of any ' Fern-birds' ' eggs, he told us that he had not seen anj^ that season, 

 but could take us to some at once, and immediately did so, the eggs in four out 

 of five cases being found on, or within a few inches of, the spot on which our 

 companion had found them in previous years. The Nightjar's complement of 

 eo-o-s seems never to exceed two ; their ground-colour is white, ^\•ith a varied and 

 beautiful marbling of various shades of brown and lilac ; to our eyes the}- are 

 amongst the most handsome of British birds' eggs. The flight of the Nightjar is 

 silent, rapid, and buoyant, with constant twists whilst in pursuit of prey, which 

 consists principally of moths and cockchafers ; in Devonshire the small chafers, 

 locally known as ' fern-web,' appear to be the favourite food of this species. This 

 bird, though fond of the shade, delights in warmth, and may often be found 

 basking upon bare stony spots in old quarries and similar localities in full glare 



* Mr. Fi-oliawk remiuds Die that this uote is similar to that made by some of the waders hoo-uhil~ 

 Iwow/iit, hooivhit. — A.G.B. 



