THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. 135 



they are scarcer on the sea-coast and its immodiate neighbourhood ; while towards the 

 mountains they are verj- numerous. The night-hawks, on the contrary, delight in these 

 extensive sea-marshes, and are much more numerous there than in the interior and 

 higher parts of the coimtry. But in that tract of country in the state of Kentucky, 

 called " the Barrens," appears to be their most congenial climate and place of 

 residence. There, from the middle of April to the 1st of June, as soon as the evening 

 twilight draws on, the shrill and confused clamours of these birds are incessant, and very 

 surprising to a stranger. They soon, however, become extremely agreeable ; the 

 inhabitants He down at night lulled by their whistlings ; and the first approach of dawn 

 is announced by a general and lively chorus of the same nrusic. 



The whip-poor-will is nine inches and a half long, and nineteen inches in extent. The 

 bill is blackish, a full quarter of an inch long, of considerable strength, and bent a little 

 at the point. The nostrils are prominent and tubidar. The mouth is very large, and 

 beset along the sides with a number of long, thick, elastic bristles, the largest of which 

 extends more than half an inch beyond the point of the bill, end in fine hair, and curve 

 inwards. They seem to serve as feelers, and prevent the escape of -winged insects. The 

 eyes are very large, full, and bluish-black. The plumage above is so variegated with 

 black, pale cream, bro-mi and rust colour, sprinkled and powdered in such minute streaks 

 and spots as to defy description. The female is about an inch less in length and extent, 

 agreeing, in some respects with the male, but diiiering in others. For example, she is 

 much lighter on the upper parts, and seems as if powdered with grains of meal. 



The collared goatsucker, probably the C. Asiaticus, or Bombay goatsucker of Latham, 

 was observed by Levaillant on the banks of the Gamtoo, in Africa, where it is very 

 common. 



During the time of incubation the male begins its loud and singular song about an 

 hour after srmset, and if the night be fine, continues till daylight. The female lays two 

 white eggs, with the shells so exceedingl}' thin and brittle, that it requires great caution 

 to handle without breaking them. Notwithstanding this, the bird deposits these eggs 

 frequently in the middle of the path. The male sits as well as its female, and when so 

 occupied, the bird will not move on the approach of any one until in actual danger of 

 being trodden on. After the eggs have been touched, they are sure to be removed, and 

 probably, to a considerable distance. 



Levaillant foimd another species of goatsucker in South Africa, remarkable for its 

 size, — this was the forked-tailed goatsucker. This character of tail is unique in this 

 genus. It is six-and-twenty inches long from the point of the bill to the extremity of 

 the tail, which is the last lateral one on each side. The bill of this bird is of an enor- 

 mous width, and terminates in a small hook. The lower mandible ' covers the upjDer at 

 the corner of the mouth, by a small projecting edge, and the upj^er by a sort of lid 

 covers again the lower, which last is fairly enclosed, as far as a very marked notch 

 about the middle of the upper. After this notch, the upper mandible becomes 

 suddenly very narrow, and boxes itself in the lower, which is conformed to receive it 

 with a proper edge, and is itself finally surmoimted by the end of the upper one, which 

 holds it firmly, and curves beyond it in the form of a hook. 



From this perfect union of the two mandibles, this bird appears, when the mouth is 

 closed, to have a very small bill. " Those who imagine," saj's il. Levaillant, " that these 

 birds always fly with their mouths open, are very grossly deceived. They frequently 

 place themselves on the ground, for the purpose of collecting the insects there, and in 

 taking them on the wing, it does not appear necessary that they should keep the mouth 

 gaping open. We find the bee-eaters, the martins, and all the swallows, take insects 

 on the wing, and we never see them open the bill imtil the moment they are near 

 enough to snatch them up. It is probable that the goatsucker does the same." 



