15° 



HARD WICKE 'S SCIENCE- G OSSIF. 



The structure and habits of the Goatsucker seem 

 to constitute it a link between the Swallows and the 

 Hawks, while its night-flying propensities give it a 

 claim to relationship with the Owls. Its flight is 

 essentially hawk-like, and exceedingly rapid and 

 graceful, though as perfectly silent as that of an owl ; 

 and indeed, on examining the wing, we find a similar 

 margin to the outer feathers of serrated fibres, to 

 that possessed by the Owls. In common, too, with 

 them, the eyes are large and bright, and surrounded 

 by a well-marked radiation of feathers. In its general 

 characteristics, however, the Goatsucker resembles 

 its near relations, the Swallows. The mouth is re- 

 markably wide, the opening extending behind the 

 eye. The beak is small, but the great peculiarity 

 consists of an array of long bristles growing from 

 above and below, from the margins of the mouth, 

 and so disposed as to prevent the escape of the 

 insect when once captured — an obviously necessaiy 

 arrangement when we consider the powerful insects 

 on which the bird feeds. The feet, like those of 

 other insectivorous birds, are small and weak : on 

 the middle toe, however, is a peculiar comb-like 

 structure, formed by dilation and serration of the 

 hard covering of the bone. What purpose this comb 

 serves is not known, but it has been conjectured that 

 it may be of use in capturing and retaining large 

 moths, &c., while on the wing. The only way in 

 which the plumage of the Goatsucker can be described 

 is by comparing it to the undermarking of the wings 

 of some of the Vanessidae among butterflies. It is a 

 most intricate combination of black-greys and sepia. 

 This colouring renders the bird perfectly undistin- 

 guishable while in shade, and probably preserves it 

 from notice in the daytime, as it generally hides 

 among the long fern in woods, where its colouring 

 would blend with that of the dead leaves and wood 

 scattered around. 



The Goatsucker breeds with us, laying its two 

 eggs on the ground, without forming a nest of any 

 description. These eggs are about the size of a 

 dove's, marked with grey and brown on a white 

 groimd. I have noticed that these two eggs are 

 never, as far as I know, alike in marking, one being 

 boldly dappled with colour and leaving broad spaces 

 unmarked, and the other closely marked with small 

 spots in such a way as to leave little of the ground 

 showing. Can any one say whether this is always 

 so? 



Another point on which I should like information 

 is whether the Goatsucker ever "jars" whilst on 

 the wing, while it is settled on the ground, or length- 

 wise on a rail. I have seen it in the act of so doing, 

 but have never been able to determine if it does so 

 during flight. The names of the Goatsucker are 

 numerous, all referring to its habits. The commonest 

 are Fernowl, Nightjar, Evesjar, and Night-hawk. 



The range of the family of the Capriinitlgidic is 

 very extensive, as they belong to the old and the new 



world. That of our one English representative is 

 limited to the southern and south-eastern counties, 

 seldom extending far inland. 



Chas. W. Whistler. 



AN IRISH BOTANIST'S HOLIDAY TOUR. 



HAVING made up my mind to snatch a few days 

 from business and enjoy a brief holiday, I 

 fixed on the second week of May last for that pur- 

 pose, and decided on devoting it to what seems to 

 me the pleasantest of all mundane pursuits — botan- 

 izing. The season thus selected was not, of course, 

 the very best time in which to collect a large number 

 of plants, nevertheless I reckoned on finding as 

 many representatives of the spring flora of the West 

 of Ireland as I could conveniently manage to dry on 

 my return. 



My route to the West was by way of Dublin, and, 

 on nearing that city, I was gratified by seeing on the 

 railway-banks an abundance of Primula verts, a 

 plant that does not grow wild in the county of 

 Antrim, and is extremely scarce in the neighbouring 

 counties of Down and Derry. This species seems to 

 prefer a limestone soil : it abounds not only about 

 Dublin, but all along the Midland Railway line to 

 Galway, and I observed it by the road north-west of 

 that city until near Outerard. In many places it 

 seems more abundant, even, than the Primrose, but 

 does not enter Connemara. In fact, I noted that the 

 Cowslip disappeared as soon as we left the limestone 

 and entered on a country carved out of the meta- 

 morphic rocks. 



On reaching Dublin I at once made tracks, as the 

 Yankees say, for the Royal Canal, in hope of meet- 

 ing with EquisetuDi IVilsoni before night would set in. 

 In this I was successful, and found the desired horse- 

 tail growing in dense tufts in the shallow water at 

 the edge of the canal. Twilight was, however, 

 coming on, and not getting satisfactory specimens, I 

 decided on visiting the canal again in daylight, when 

 returning from Galway. While referring to this 

 species I may be allowed to anticipate, and just 

 mention that, eight days later, I came up from 

 Galway by the night mail for the purpose just stated. 

 The Midland line runs for a great distance parallel 

 with the canal, and on arriving at Maynooth, fifteen 

 miles west of Dublin, I left the train, and set out on 

 foot, following the course of the tow-path. Equisetniit 

 IVilsoni is even more abundant than the record in 

 " Cybele Ilibernica " leads one to expect. I found 

 it in quantity not only east of Clonsilla, as stated in 

 the "Cybele," but also close to Maynooth, and at 

 many points between that station and Clonsilla. It 

 grows in large dark-green masses, much more densely 

 tufted than either E. pahistre or E. liinosiun, fringing 

 the canal as they do, but readily distinguished, even 

 at a distance, by its darker colour. E. IVilsoni 



