DIARY OF THE HABITS OF NIGHTJARS. 491 



large in proportion to their size as in the old birds), and one 

 jumped up at my finger from the ground as at the old bird's beak. 

 Though dependent on the parents for food, the chicks seem 

 almost as active and well able to get about as young Fowls or 

 Pheasants ; but, their food being in the air, and they being unable 

 to fly, there is no inducement for them to run about. 



8.50. — Bird settled on ground near by, and churred slightly; 

 then almost immediately flew to chicks, but seemed unwilling to 

 feed them. 



8.53. — Bird relieved and flew off. Chick fed by the other 

 four times, the parent bird making a low clucking or crooning 

 noise during the feeding. 



9.2. — Partner flew near, and bird left the chicks. Both birds 

 now circled round about in the air, hawking as it seemed for 

 insects, and often clapping their wings. They would sink grace- 

 fully down, and then rise up, somewhat perpendicularly,* with a 

 curious fluttering action of che wings. I take this to be an 

 antic, and nothing to do with securing prey. I notice now, or 

 rather I now pay attention to, the fact that one of these pair of 

 birds is lighter than the other in the colouring of its plumage. 

 The lighter bird is the one that sits all day, and which I take to 

 be the female. 



9.8. — Lighter coloured bird back. Chicks fed once or twice. 



9.12. — Bird flew off silently. 



9.17. — Bird hovered above chicks, who uttered a note. 



9.17. — Lighter bird back, and fed both chicks twice; other 

 bird flew near. 



9.20.— Bird left chicks. 



9.20. — Darker bird flew down and fed chicks, I think twice. 



9.28.— Bird flew off. 



9.28. — Lighter bird settled on elder-stump near, and then 

 flew to chicks and fed them. Too dark now to see properly. 



9.32. — Bird flew off clapping its wings. It is the bill of the 

 young bird which receives that of the parent during the process 

 of feeding. To-night heard a bird making a peculiarly shrill 

 " churr." 



9.50. — Bird flew away. 



* I mean straight up, whilst retaining the horizontal attitude as one 

 might draw up a toy bird dangling from a string. 



