THE NIGHTJAR 229 



like the sound of the word " churr ", with the last two letters very 

 much rolled out. 



This sound may continue without a break for several minutes 

 at a time, and you wonder what it can possibly be. It may seem 

 to proceed from a clump of trees at a little distance, up to which 

 you walk, when you may see an oddly-shaped bird, with a large 



Nightjar 



round head and hardly any neck, sitting along a branch, instead of 

 across it. 



This is a Nightjar, one of the most singular birds in this 

 country. Sometimes it is called the goatsucker, because people 

 used to think that it sucked the milk of goats. But this is a pure 

 fable, for it lives on insects; and, so far from being mischievous, is 

 really a very useful bird. 



It is quite true that a nightjar has been seen leaping up towards 

 the udders of cows, as though it were trying to steal milk from 



