494 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



was. To-night, as I walked away, I heard two Nightjars uttering 

 a new note — a sort of "jig jig jig jig jig jig" to each other — 

 varied with the usual " quaw-ee " and " queek." One of these 

 birds clapped its wings quite thirty times, for I did not begin to 

 count till after the first bout, and then counted to twenty. There 

 was a short pause between the two bursts of clapping, as a pause 

 in music. 



July Ith. — (Fine most of the day.) At 8.43 p.m. found bird 

 covering young. Place changed; more than a pace nearer to me 

 than originally. Eye quite shut. 



8.50. — Chicks came out from under breast, jumped up and 

 tugged vigorously at old bird's bill ; but, as far as I could see, 

 she refused to feed them. Also the croodling noise made by 

 the chicks, not the old bird. 



8.55. — Chicks again tried, both tugging together with all their 

 might, at old bird's beak ; but no good. Think the croodling is 

 made by the chicks, but difficult to be quite sure. 



8.57. — Tried again, but to no purpose ; bothering the old bird 

 very much — so much that at last she went away to the place she 

 was in last night. The chicks ran after her and tried again, but 

 gave it up, and then ran under her breast. The croodling sound 

 seems too full for the chicks, and has too much expression in it. 

 Yet it ceases after they get under the hen. This, however, is 

 not decisive. 



9.2. — Chicks tried again, and again, I thought, got nothing. 



9.3. — Tried again importunately. No result. I think it is 

 the old bird that makes the croodling. 



9.5. — Old bird begins to turn her head and look about with 

 eyes open ; then gives tremendous gape. 



9.10. — Another gape ; and at 9.11 flies off. Kan out to clear 

 away some nettles slightly obstructing view. Chicks lay quiet 

 at first, then all at once scuttled away into surrounding herbage. 

 I had not seen old bird about, or heard any note uttered. 



9.18. — Same bird back, and settles in the empty place. One 

 little chick runs out of grass from one side, and is fed twice with 

 empressement. The other one comes afterwards from the other 

 side farther off. The hen bird walks to it, and feeds it twice also. 

 Process always the same. A minute afterwards one of the chicks 

 tries for some more, but do not think he gets any. 



