88 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



a note which has been Hkcncd to the noise made by a spinning-wheel, and so powerful as to 

 be audible half a mile off. This note is made while on the ground : on the wing, while toying 

 with its mate, another equall}- peculiar sound is made, which has been likened to the noise 

 made by swinging a whip-thong through the air. 



No nest is made by this bird; but the eggs, two in number and beautifully marked, 

 are laid on the bare ground. The young are covered with down, and remain in the nest 

 for sonic time. 



Another very remarkable feature is the fact that the claw of the middle toe has its inner 

 edge curiously serrated, forming a sort of comb, the function of which is unknown. This 

 comb-like claw occurs also in some few other birds — bitterns, for instance. 



A very remarkable kind is the Pe.\.\axt-\vi.\c;ed Night-J.\R, in which one of the quill- 

 feathers in each wing is produced into a " pennant " of some 17 inches in length. The shaft 

 of the feather is bare for the greater part of its length, and terminates in a feather}- blade. 

 It is an Ab\-ssiiiian species about which not much is known. 



Photo b, IV. SavilU-Kent, F.Z.S.^ 



MORE-PORKS 



60 called ft cm [he note they utter 



iMdUrd-m-Siit 



Some of the night-jars, as the 

 New World NlGHT-H.wvK and the 

 Old World E.\RED NiGHT-jARS.are 

 particularly owl-like, a resemblance 

 imparted by long " ear-like" tufts 

 of feathers which rise from the 

 back of the head. Others, as 

 the MoRE-PORK of the Tasmanian 

 colonists, or the Frog-MOUTH. as it 

 is called in Australia, are remark- 

 able for the huge size of the 

 mouth, bounded, as it appears to 

 be, b}' huge lips, represented by 

 the short, round-edged beak. 



Very nearl\- related to the 

 night-jars is the OiL-BiRD of South 

 America, which lives in caves in 

 Trinidad, Ecuador, and Peru, where 

 it builds a nest which has been 

 likened in appearance to a huge 

 cheese, and in which are laid from 

 two to four white eggs. Like the 

 night-jars, these birds feed by 

 night, emerging from their gloomy 

 Iheir food, however, is entirely 



retreats at twilight with much noise and in great numbers 

 of a vegetable nature, consisting of oil}- nuts or fruits. 



The young, soon after they are hatched, become perfect masses of fat, and on this account 

 are much in demand b}- the Indians, who make a special business of killing them and extracting 

 the oil. 



Swifts 



In genera! appearance Swifts bear a strong superficial resemblance to Swallows; in reality 

 they are related, not to those harbingers of spring, but to the Night-jars on the one hand 

 and the Humming-birds on the other. 



The Common Swift arrives in England during the early part of May, and stays till 

 the end of August, or sometimes till .September has half run its course. Black in colour, 

 relieved only by a white throat, it has little in the sense of beauty to recommend it; 

 nevertheless, there are probably few who do not cherish tender feelings towards this bird. 



