7i 
Kingfisher excavates a short tunnel in the sandy bank of stream or 
pool, in which it nests. The eggs are usually six or seven ia 
number, though occasionally eight or even nine may he found. 
They arc pure white, very glossy, and almost round. 
The bird's habit is to sit on an exposed branch overhanging the 
water, watching for passing fish, which it captures by plunging wait 
guile a loud splash, thereafter emerging usually with a small fish 
held across the middle. After regaining its perch its grip is shi tad 
So near the fish’s tail. It then bangs it on the branch, tosses it ia 
the air, and, deftly caught, it is swallowed head foremost. 
These photographs of young und adult Kingfishers complete the 
series of this bird, as pictures of its nest and eggs are to be found on 
Pages 31) and 30 of IVild tiirtis at Home, Fourth Strut. 
Nightjar (Pages 23-16). — The Nightjar rejoices in a variety of 
names, being known also as the Goat-Sucker, Kern Owl, Evejar, 
Night Hawk and Churn Owl. It is some 10% inches in length, 
with a very short bill a little over half an-inch long, but very wide, 
as is indeed necessary to enable it to capture the large moths and 
other insects on which it almost entirely feeds. 
In colour this bird is a dark ashy-grey, mottled with brown, and 
barred and spotted with streaks of dark cinnamon. The throat is 
brown, barred with darker brown and with white spots, while there 
is a white patch on either cheek. 
The species is a summer visuor to our Isles, arriving about the 
end of May and leaving for warmer climes during September. It 
'is widely spread, but by no means common. Its favourite haunt is 
moor and woodland, particularly where fern and bracken are found, 
and it seems to prefer those parts of the moor which fringe the 
woodland. It is to be seen only in the twilight and night hours, 
when its chttrring note maybe heaid as it flies hack and fotward 
hawking for cockchafers and moths. It is said to feed also on slugs 
and caterpillars. It makes no nest, but lavs on the ground its tw* 
eges, creamy-white in ground colour, marbled with violet -grey and 
fight shades of brown. When on the nest the colour of the bird so 
•losely assimilates to its surroundings as to render it almost Invisible. 
Two peculiarities of the Nightjar are a habit of striking its wings 
together over its hack as it rises in flight, and its manner of roosting, 
which is always lengthwise instead of aero s the branch on which it 
rests. Two noticeable features in this bird are the strong rectile 
bristles surrounding the hill and the pectinated claw on the middle 
toe of either foot. 1 he use of this claw has been the subject of many 
eonjectures, the likeliest of which probably is that it is used to clean 
off from the bristles surrounding the bill any small insects w hich 
may have been caught thereon while the bird is haw king after the 
moths on which it mostly lives. 
It is interesting to note the origin of its name of Goat-Sucker. 
Cattle browsing in the twilight disturb many insects from th* grass, 
and as these are of much interest to the Nightjar, it maybe seea 
flying closely round the animals, seizing the insects as trey rise. 
The bird’s close proximity to the animal gave rise to the ludicrous 
•onjeciure that it performed the act its name suggests. 
There are two fine (and larger) photographs of the young and 
adult of the Nightjar ou Page 147 of Future Pictures ( Gow-aus & 
Gray, 7/* net). 
