THE GOATSUCKERS. 



THE NIGHT JAR. ' 



The goatsuckers, or night jars, are birds of nocturnal habits, issuing forth at twilight 

 to spend the night in search of food, when they may be found gently fanning their way 

 along in pursuit of various insects which are also on the wing. The beautifully subdued 

 and blended tones of gray and brown which chequer their plumage well amalgamate 

 with the season when they go forth, and greatly aid in their concealment from their 

 prey ; while the width of their gape renders it impossible to miss those they may pursue- 

 In order to give additional seciu'ity to their hold, the edges of the mandibles are 

 furnished on each side with a row of strong bristles, capable of diverging or contracting 

 bj' means of muscles attached to their roots. Their eyes are large, and of that kind 

 designated nocturnal ; their plumage is diversified with black, brown, ferruginous, and 

 white, whUe the under parts have numerous undulated transverse lines. The legs are 

 very short, scaly, and feathered below the knee, and their toes are arranged with three 

 before and one behind, but the hind one can be brought forward. The weight of the 

 bird is between two and three omices, and its full length is about ten inches. 



The ffoatsuckers have derived their name oh account of the ridiculous notion that 

 they suck the teats of goats ; and this story, absiu-d as it is, may be traced to the days of 

 Aristotle. In the ninth book of his " History of Animals," he says, that this bird flies 

 upon the goats and sucks them, and adds, that not only do the mammas sucked become 

 dry, but the goat becomes blind. Pliny and iElian also narrate tliis story, the latter 

 expressing his astonishment at the wonderful audacity of the bird, it being fearless of the 

 vengeance of the goatherds. The explanation of the story is to be found in the fact that 

 many of the insectivorous birds are seen hovering near the bodies of cattle and sheep 

 whQst grazing, in order to prey on the insects which may be there ; but this habit is 

 common to many genera of birds, and does not give any support to the notion in 

 question, which is entirely incompatible with their organization. Nor is this the only 

 false accusation made against this bird. White, in his " Natural History of Selborne," 

 tells us that the country people believe the night jar, which is another name for this 

 bird, to be the cause of a fatal disease among calves. 



This is a solitary bird. Two of them are rarely seen together, and even then they 

 preserve a tolerable distance from each other. It frequents mountains and plains, almost 

 always conceals itself under a bush, or in the young coppices, and seems to prefer dry 

 and stony soUs, and those which are covered with briers. 



It generally roosts on the ground, preferring the contiguity of woods ; and if it 

 perches on the limb of a tree, it sits lengthwise, and seldom across like most other birds ; 

 this peculiarity probably arising from the shortness and slender form of its legs and feet, 

 which are not calculated to enable it to take a firm grasp of a branch. 



This semi-nocturnal bird never quits its retreat but towards twilight ; or if it ever do 

 so, it is only in sombre and cloudy weather, for it is dazzled by a strong liglit. The 

 feeblest degree of light suits it best. If it happen to be disturbed and roused of a fine 

 day, its flight is low and uncertain. The reverse, however, is altogether the case after 

 the setting of the sun. It is then quite lively and active in its flight, which is neces- 

 sarily irregular, like tliat of the winged insects which constitute its i^rcy, and which it 

 can only seize by short and rapid zigzags. 



CaprimulgTis Europocus. 



