i66 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chap. 



in an open wood, and run Tnto a hole or elsewhere at the root 

 of a tree ; they sometimes hide their head, like the story of the 

 ostrich, and allow themselves to be lifted up. Unlike most 

 other migrating birds, the landrail is in good order on his first 

 arrival, and being then very fat and delicate in flavour, is very 

 good eating. Their nest is of a very artless description, a mere 

 hollow scratched in the middle of a grass-field, in which they 

 lay about eight eggs. The young ones at first are quite black, 

 curious-looking little birds, with the same attitudes and manner 

 of running as their parents, stooping their heads and looking 

 more like mice or rats than a long-legged bird. 



Besides those already mentioned, I can only call to mind 

 two other birds that visit us for the breeding-season — the cuckoo 

 and the nightjar. 



The cuckoo, like the landrail, is connected in all my ideas 

 with spring and sunshine, though frequenting such a different 

 description of country ; the landrail always inhabiting the most 

 open country, while the cuckoo frequents the wooded glades 

 and banks of the rivers and burns ; flitting from tree to tree, 

 alighting generally on some small branch close to the trunk, 

 or chasing each other, uttering their singular call. So much 

 has been written respecting their habit of laying their egg in 

 the nest of some other bird, that I can add nothing to what is 

 already known. In this country they seem to delight in the 

 woods on the hill-sides by the edge of loch or river, where I 

 constantly hear their note of good omen. When the young 

 ones are fledged, they remain for a week or two about the 

 gardens or houses, perching on the railing.s, and darting off, like 

 the flycatcher, in pursuit of passing insects. 



The nightjar ^ is a summer resident here, building its nest — 

 or rather laying its eggs, for nest it has none — in some bare 

 spot of ground, near the edge of a wood, and seldom quite 

 within it. The eggs are of a peculiarly oval shape. The night- 

 jar, during the daytime, will lie flat and motionless for hours 

 together on some horizontal branch of a tree near the ground, 

 or on some part of the ground itself which exactly resembles its 



^ This bird sits or rather lies on a branch of a tree, longways, not perching across it 

 like all other birds. It is common quite to the north of the island wherever there is any 

 wood, as at Tongue, etc., in Sutherland. The goatsucker makes no nest whatever ; not 

 even does it scratch a hollow in the ground, but lays its two oval eggs without the least 

 preparation. — C. St. J. 



