DIARY OF THE HABITS OF NIGHTJARS. 489 



the other, the hen) returned, and both chicks were fed by the 

 regurgitatory process. The light, I am glad to say, was amply 

 sufficient, and there could not be the smallest doubt. The 

 chicks were thus fed several times — four or five times. A minute 

 or two after feeding the chicks, and before flying away, the old 

 bird opened, twice in succession, its enormous beak, or rather 

 mouth. Quite a revelation ; it looked as if it opened its head. 

 The other bird had also done this, but neither of them before 

 to-night whilst under my observation. They also moved their 

 bills in much the same way as we do our lips after having 

 swallowed something, and still having the taste of it in the 

 mouth. The old birds could not have fed the chicks two or 

 three times in succession, as they did, with anything they 

 brought in their beaks ; nor did I ever observe them to have 

 anything in the beak, which I am sure I should have done had 

 this been the case. Moreover, I observed the swelling and sub- 

 siding of the throat, suggesting the pumping of something 

 through it. 



9.5. — Bird flew off. In about a minute both birds flew up, 

 and, I think, settled near on ground; then flew off again. The two 

 birds now sported close by in the air, one of them uttering a note 

 like " quick quick, quick quick " — a kind of loud modified twitter. 



9.10. — Bird flew up and perched on same elder stump as 

 night before, then almost at once flew to chicks and fed them as 

 before. The light was now fast fading, but it seemed to me as if 

 both the chicks had their beaks in the old bird's mouth at the 

 same time, as with Doves. This, of course, may be a mistake, 

 or it may have been due merely to the eagerness of the chicks. 

 (This would explain the origin of the habit.) 



9.25. — Bird rose suddenly, and flew away in silence. About 

 a second afterwards bird flew down on to young, and churred 

 slightly for a moment, then uttered the little croodling note of 

 content. I could just see the lighter coloured bodies of the 

 chicks in motion, and have no doubt they were being fed as 

 before, but too dark to see it or anything. 



9.35. — Bird perched on same elder stump, upon which the 

 other bird left the chicks, this time quaw-eeing when it got 

 a little way off. A second or two afterwards bird on stump flew 

 down to young. 



