THE NIGHTJAR. 2lJ 



have serrated middle claws and yet are never 

 seen to perch. 



Some naturalists, and amongst others Bishop 

 Stanley, have surmised that by means of its 

 peculiarly-formed toes, the Nightjar is enabled to 

 carry off its eggs, if disturbed, and place them in a 

 securer spot, but should any such necessity arise, 

 one would think that its large and capacious 

 mouth, as in the case of the Cuckoo, would form 

 the best and safest means of conveyance. 



In the young Nightjar at first the peculiarity 

 in question is not observable, and Macgillivray 

 remarked that in a fully-fledged young bird 

 shot early in September, the middle claw had 

 only half the number of serrations which are 

 usually discernible in the adult. He says : — 

 " All birds whose middle claw is serrated have 

 that claw elongated, and furnished with a very 

 thin edge. It therefore appears that the serra- 

 tion is produced by the splitting of the edge of 

 the claw after the bird has used it, but whether 

 in consequence, of pressure caused by standing 

 or grasping can only be conjectured." I have 

 detected some confirmation of this in the case 



