Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/532

502 moved. Sometimes he came quite near, and often clapped his wings. Also settled on elder-stump near.

8.45.—Took one of the young ones up, and put it down in the old place, then sat behind screen as before. The birds continued to fly about both near the place where I was and that from which I had taken the chick. Once the latter gave a loud harsh cry, which was not repeated. As one of the birds hovered for some time near the ground where I had put the chick, I think she must have seen it.

9.—Hen bird settled on the elder-stump near my shelter.

9.1.—Rose and flew off with impatient note, and in unquiet manner.

9.9.—Bird again on stump. In less than minute flies off suddenly and violently with short cry. Put chick back from where I had taken it with the other, which I found near. This one (the lighter one) was so much the larger of the two that I could hardly think they were of the same hatching. Yet it must have been so, for, having walked all about there before the time at which the Nightjar takes wing, I had disturbed no other grown birds than this one pair. They sit very close, however, so the possibility is not excluded.

June 11th and 18th, 1898.—Commence their churring about 8.30 p.m. Sit on the very extreme top of young fir trees in plantation. "Churr" for a very long time in succession (I believe sometimes for upwards of a quarter of an hour, but have not yet succeeded in timing a very long one, as it is never known at the beginning whether it will be long or short). Then rise into the air, giving very often several loud claps with the wings above the back, and uttering another note—"quaw-ee quaw-ee"—which I have not heard them make whilst sitting on tree.

I have heard—though only once, I think—a curious modification of the "churr" at its ending. It became less mechanical, less instrumental as it were, more voice entered into it, and it seemed to express joy. I did not see the bird at this time. It was possibly joined by its mate. Often when the bird has finished churring on the tree it settles, after a few circles, on the ground on which it crouches. Sometimes whilst here it will give