160 On the Nhjht-Jar. 



stance,) whose habits are extremely different to those of the night- 

 jar, are provided with a pectinated or serrated claw very similar to 

 this. The figure i amongst the sketches represents the claw and 

 part of the middle toe of one of the feet, shewing the serrated form 

 of th e claw. 



The Caprimulgus Europseus is the only British species of this 

 genus. It is a migratory bird, and generally makes its appearance 

 in England about the latter end of May or the beginning of June, 

 and remains with us generally until the end of September or be- 

 ginning of October. As it proceeds from the eastward, it visits 

 the Island of Malta in the Mediterranean, and the south of France, 

 about a month sooner than it arrives in England. On the other 

 hand, in its passage from our island, it leaves us about the latter 

 end of September, and south of France about the latter end of Octo- 

 ber. Some French authors assert, that in rare instances this spe- 

 cies has been shot in some of the woods and mountainous parts of 

 Vosges in the middle of winter. This species has also been found in 

 the open parts, as well as the woods and rocky parts, of Siberia and 

 Kamtschatka. 



The night-jar feeds upon insects which it takes in its flight, and 

 this is principally done during the night, and by morning and even- 

 ing twilight, these being the times at which it generally flies, although 

 it may be occasionally seen at intervals during the day ; but this ap- 

 pears principally to be when it has been driven from its diurnal re- 

 treat by some intruder. The plumage is peculiarly soft, which en- 

 ables it, at its pleasure, to pass rapidly through the air without the 

 vibrations of its wings being heard, and nature has so beautifully 

 provided for its safety during its diurnal rest, that it can only, with 

 the greatest difficulty, be discovered amongst the decayed branches 

 and trunks of trees, the dead ferns, and leaves amongst which it hides ; 

 the colours of the plumage much resembling the tints of the bodies 

 amidst which it secretes itself. The bird lays two eggs upon the 

 bare ground where it is a little hollowed out beneath a whin bush, 

 patch of ferns, or some other similar body, which serves as a kind of 

 security or shelter to the parent bird whilst incubating. The egg is 

 large for the size of the bird ; has both ends nearly alike in size, is 

 prettily mottled with brown, relieved by marblings of paler tints of the 

 same colour. To give an idea of the habits of this bird, I shall here 

 insert a few notes that I have made at different times respecting it. 

 When in the middle of a heath in the neighbourhood of this town, 

 and at the distance of a quarter of a mile from any wood, my atten- 



