DIARY OF THE HABITS OF NIGHTJARS. 399 



(I shall subsequently allude to this point under " General Ob- 

 servations.") 



June 27th. — (Bad weather all day; rainy and cloudy evening.) 



Arrived at 8.15. Heard birds churring already. Bird sitting. 

 Head turned towards stalk, eyes closed, and seemingly asleep. 

 When sitting the tips of the wings cross each other over the tail, 

 which projects an inch or so beyond them. 



8.50. — At the loud bang of a gun not far off (" making night 

 hideous") the bird just opened its eyes (the one next to me at 

 least) to the smallest possible extent, hardly noticeable at all, and 

 then shut them again. They had been closed until then, but for 

 one little blink. 



8.40. — The eyes still fast closed. A bird flew by quite near 

 quaw-eeing, but the sitting bird took no notice. Again the bird 

 (or another one) flew by, still closer, calling as before — no notice. 

 But a little farther on he was answered by a soft " churr " 

 from the ground, his mate, as I concluded, sitting on the 

 eggs. He did not settle, but circled round several times, 

 quaw-eeing and clapping his wings, the other bird answering 

 with "churrs," and also a soft croodling note, very expressive 

 of satisfaction. Note that my sitting bird paid no attention to 

 the greeting of a bird, not her mate, which greeting was not 

 addressed to her, though uttered quite close — in fact, just over 

 her head. 



8.55. — A bird flew near by quaw-eeing, and the sitting one 

 answered with a very subdued and low "churr" (the lowest I 

 have yet heard). The bird flew on without settling. The sitting 

 bird had not opened its eyes properly till then. I seemed to 

 recognize the note made by the flying bird, but wondered at the 

 " churr " being so low and so quickly ended. 



Query. — Was it a mistake on the sitting bird's part ? It 



sounded like, "Was that ? No. I thought I recognized 



his voice." 



Five or six birds now flew near about, seeming to chase and 

 sport with each other. Some flew quite close, but to their cries 

 the sitting bird made no response. 



9.10. — Partner still not come. Sitting bird now became 

 wakeful, moving her head round first one way and then another ; 

 then flew off so suddenly that I thought she must have caught 



