336 
NIGHTJAR. 
nished on each side with strong- bristles, capable of diverg-ing- or con- 
tracting-, by means of muscles attached to their roots ; eyes very larg-e ; 
irides dusky. The plumag-e is beautifully diversified with black, brown, 
ferrug-inous and white, sprinkled and dashed with cinereous ; the under 
parts are ferrug-inous brown, with numerous undulated transverse lines ; 
the leg-s are very short, scaly, and feathered below the knee ; the claw 
of the middle toe serrated on the inner edg-e. 
The male has a larg e oval spot of white on the inner web of the three 
first quill feathers, and at the end of the two outmost tail feathers. 
The female wants the white spots on the wings and tail ; in other 
respects it is like the male. With us this bird is only a summer visi- 
tant, appearing about the middle of May, and departing again the latter 
end of September, or beginning of October. It is the only species found 
in Europe out of nineteen or twenty enumerated by different authors. 
It makes no nest, but lays two eggs on the bare ground, amongst 
fern, heath, or long grass, sometimes in woods or furze ; but at all 
times contiguous to woods, where it chiefly conceals itself by day. 
The eggs are larger than those of a blackbird, of an oblong oval, 
whitish, elegantly marbled with light brown and ash-colour. It 
generally sits on the ground, but if disturbed, frequently perches on 
the limb of a tree, most commonly lengthwise, not across, as is usual 
with most birds. In the dusk of the evening it begins its flight in 
pursuit of the larger insects, (particulary the cockchafer, Melolontha 
vulgaris, Fabr, and Zantheumia solstitialis, Leach, which rise from 
their earthy abode about that time.) Is also fond of the large-bodied 
moths; but few winged insects escape its wide-extended mouth. 
*The use of the serrated middle claw of this bird was supposed by 
White of Selborne, to aid it in taking its prey.^ Mr. Dillon, on the 
other hand, thinks that its chief use is simply to comb out or dress 
the vihrissce,"' or bristles which fringe the gape.^ Mr. Swainson, in 
opposition to this, says, “ there is an American group of 'this family 
which have no bristles round the bill, and yet have the serrated claws ; 
and another group in Australia having bristles, and yet with the claw 
smooth and simple. The heron tribe, in like manner, have the gape 
(rictus') smooth, but have the claw serrated.”^ 
“ I was, I confess, disposed to think Mr. Dillon’s account more 
plausible than true, and to agree with White and the learned arguments 
of Swainson, till I met with the following passage respecting the Caro- 
1 Nat. Hist. Let. 47. 
2 Mag. of Nat. Hist. iii. 33. 
3 Ib. p. 188. 
