The Night-jar's Device
Some observer the other day expressed a certain astonish-.
ment at sight of a cock night-jar attending to the young while the hen was brooding a second clutch. The number of recorded examples is not, I think, great, for the bird is secretive and tolerably rare ; but it was proved a few years ago (by an ornithologist at the Royal Naval College) that this is the habit of the species. Night-jars stay with us a very short time ; and in order to make sure of bringing off two broods in time for the young to migrate it is necessary for them to overlap. This is achieved by division of labour. The cock bird looks after the growing members of the first family while the hen takes sole charge of the second clutch. It is not, so far as I know, proved whether the cock returns to the hen when his charges are fully able to look after themselves. The most beautiful bird photograph I have ever seen was taken by this observer. He caught the parent bird in the act of extending the wings vertically over the back. The statue of "winged victory" is not more lovely than this photograph.
W. BEACH THOMAS.
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