Family CAPRI MULGIDiE. 



THE NIGHTJAR. 



Caprimulgus europceus, Linnaeus. 

 Plate 23. 



The Nightjar, also called Fernowl and Goatsucker, and known in many country 

 places by its old name of Puckeridge, usually arrives in England about the middle 

 of May, though I have seen one near Hascombe, Surrey, which I put up from 

 the shelter of some furze bushes in a disused sandpit on 29th April 1909. During 

 summer it is widely distributed over our islands, and leaves us in September for 

 Africa, the latest date on which I have seen it in Surrey being the 13th of that 

 month. In Europe it ranges as far north as Scandinavia and southwards to 

 Spain. 



The Nightjar makes no nest, laying its two eggs on the ground, usually in a 

 clearing among trees, but sometimes in the open, sheltered by furze, brambles, 

 or bracken ; the eggs, which are elongated in shape, are white, marbled and veined 

 with different shades of brown and violet-grey. One brood only is reared in the 

 season, and in their first downy stage, before attaining their powers of flight, the 

 young often move a short distance from their birthplace, and are fed by their 

 parents until after they are able to fly. 



The food consists of insects, large moths and cockchafers forming a good 

 part of it ; these are caught on the wing during the hours of twilight and darkness, 

 the wing cases and other indigestible portions being ejected in the form of pellets 

 from the mouth. 



Perched on a bare branch, the bird utters his loud and singular vibrating song, 



which often lasts for several minutes at a time, and has been likened to the whirr 



of a spinning machine. It is usually heard between twilight and dawn, but is said 



to have been noticed occasionally in the daytime. Often when on the wing in 



early summer the male gives out a sharp whistling note, and at times produces a 



rather loud clap by the striking together of its wings after the manner of a pigeon. 

 II. 17 c 



