On the Night- Jar. 161 



tion was suddenly arrested by the appearance of a male night-jar, 

 (Caprimulgus Europseus,) which rose from a small spot of bare 

 ground by the side of a whin bush, and after flying about eight or 

 ten yards, alighted upon the ground with its wings and tail expand- 

 ed, and its head turned round towards me : here it remained a few se- 

 conds, and afterwards, slowly fluttered along the ground over the 

 space of four or five yards, describing a curved course, and apparent- 

 ly with diificulty, appearing, by its actions, to imitate a wounded 

 bird labouring to fly. This was doubtlessly done to decoy me away 

 from the spot it had risen from ; but which I walked up to, and there 

 found two eggs lying in a slightly hollowed spot of ground beneath 

 the shelter of a whin bush. One would suppose that the little ani- 

 mal was led by reason to act this admirable part, for the incapabihty 

 of a wounded bird to rise into the air was so exquisitely represented 

 by this little creature, that an individual unacquainted with the habits 

 of birds might have been led from the site of its eggs, by the idea of 

 his being able to secure it. After fluttering a short distance it rose 

 from the ground, and flew slowly in a curved direction away from 

 me, and was lost amongst the bushes that were thickly dispersed 

 around. Upon a cursory view the eggs struck me as much resem- 

 bling the white stones speckled with lichens which are commonly 

 to be seen upon heaths, from which characters they would very ge- 

 nerally elude the eye of any one walking past them, although he 

 might even be in search of them. 



Supposing that the bird would soon make its appearance again to 

 visit its eggs, I was induced to secrete myself as well as I could be- 

 hind a whin bush, about fifteen yards from the spot where the eggs 

 were lying, and from this place I had an opportunity of observing 

 the actions of this interesting little creature. After waiting about a 

 quarter of an hour it came round to the whin bush under which its 

 eggs were lying ; over this it lightly skimmed and hovered, as if to 

 ascertain whether its eggs were safe, and then suddenly turning, came 

 flitting directly towards me, and approached within a few feet of my 

 face, and then flew ofi". This it did two or three times at intervals of 

 ten minutes or thereabouts. It was now about a quarter to nine 

 o'clock on the 21st of June a. d. 1832, the sun had set about a 

 quarter of an hour : the evening was mild and fine, and all was still, 

 when the peculiar note of the night-jar was faintly heard, but the 

 bird at this time was not visible : soon after this a faint squeak was 

 heard, and a pair of night-jars were seen in the air, occasionally flut- 

 tering within a few yards of me, and at intervals remaining motion- 

 less in the air with their wings expanded ; then fluttering and ho- 



