162 On the Night- Jar. 



vering ; then descending nearly to the ground with their wings ex- 

 panded and elevated over their backs, at the same time striking them 

 together, the back of one against that of the other, so as to produce a 

 smart snapping sound. This was often accompanied by a sharp quick 

 sound or squeak. At another time they would skim round me at a 

 few feet distant from the earth, — again they would hover at a short 

 distance from me, occasionally reiterating the sharp squeak before 

 described, — then they would fly to a neighbouring whin bush, and, 

 perching upon the top of it, commence the peculiar sound from which 

 their name (night-jar) is derived, and which precisely resembles the 

 sound produced by a wheel in quick rotation. Then they would rise 

 into the air, again gliding through it without producing the least 

 sound, again hovering, flitting, and squeaking. This they continued 

 until, from the darkness of the night, I coidd see them no more, al- 

 though I could at the same time distinctly hear them, and knew they 

 were close by me. I observed when these birds were sitting that their 

 wings were a little expanded, the body nearly horizontal, with the head 

 rather elevated. These birds will sit sometimes in a wood perched 

 upon a dead branch of an oak tree, with their bodies in a direction 

 parallel with that of the branch, and in this situation, just as the sun 

 goes down, will commence their jarring or vibrating note, and at in- 

 tervals flit suddenly from this situation through an opening amongst 

 the trees, skimming and hovering for a short time around and amidst 

 the tops of the neighbouring oak trees, and then settle upon the 

 branch from which they rose, and again commence their jarring note, 

 then again dash into the upper part of the trees at some unwary 

 moth, and again light upon the same bough, repeating this at inter- 

 vals, and each time upon alighting commence their vibrating note, 

 which they continue as long as they maintain their sitting postui'e. 

 We have not at present been able to detect a bird in the act of mak- 

 ing its vibrating note whilst upon the wing. Upon visiting a spot 

 where these birds are likely to be, as soon as the sun goes down, if 

 the evening be fine, their vibrating note may be heard if the birds 

 are sitting, or their little sudden squeak several times repeated will 

 announce their flight, and presently the little creatures will be seen 

 like airy sprites floating at no great distance from the ground, or over 

 the tops of trees, so prettily and lightly do they seem to float and 

 fan themselves along. Often upon a heath, when the night is fine, 

 yet dark from the lateness of the hour, and the vibrating sound of 

 the night-jar is heard at no great distance, if one walks towards the 

 sound it will soon cease, and after a few seconds of perfect stillness, 

 the sound will be again heard at a distance. If we continue our course 



