THE NIGHTJAR 13 
ground cracks its wings together over its back (so Mr. Frohawk tells me) making 
a sharp loud noise. 
Stevenson says that in Norfolk, “although the enclosure of late years of 
commons and waste lands has banished them from many of their former haunts, 
they are still common enough on the wild heathery districts in the western and 
south-western parts of the county, as well as in the 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 the day if undisturbed ; 
although, occasionally, as noticed by Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear, a single 
example has been seen hawking for food on the wing in the 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 occasionally 
noticed the Nightjar during this performance, which appears always to be produced 
whilst the bird is at rest; but these birds frequently utter a very 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 May, 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 any 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 
eggs seems never to exceed two; their ground-colour is white, with a varied and 
beautiful marbling of various shades of brown and lilac; to our eyes they 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. Frohawk reminds me that this note is similar to that made by some of the waders hoo-whit— 
hoowhit, hoowhit.—A.G.B. 
VoL. 11 “ 
