388 THE CHIMNEY SWIFT. 



twilight and of the night, and as such, to some extent, re- 

 semble the Owls; as in the size and shape of the head — the 

 very diminutive and weak bill excepted — in the soft, loose 

 texture, and sombre colors of the plumage, and in nocturnal 

 habits; while zoologically, particularly in the shape of the 

 wing and mouth, they are more closely allied to the Swifts. 

 Thus combining crepuscular and nocturnal habits with 

 great swiftness of flight, and a bat-like quickness in their 

 evolutions, as also a most capacious mouth, extending to the 

 sides of the head and in most cases thickly supplied with 

 long, stiff bristles, these Night Swallows or Swifts are 

 especially adapted, as they " quarter the air " in every 

 direction, to the destruction of nocturnal insects. From 

 an erroneous notion in respect to the habits of the European 

 representative of this class of birds, the English call it 

 " Goatsucker," in accordance with its old Latinized Greek 

 name, Caprimulgus. The French, however, call it by a name, 

 which means wind-swallower, and also by another, which 

 means flying toad. 



Thus from some fact or resemblance, fancied or real, the 

 various objects in natural history are made to bear names, 

 which, both in common and scientific nomenclature, sig- 

 nalize them, either truly or falsely, for many generations at 

 least, and perhaps through all time. 



THE CHIMNEY SWIFT. 



Returning home near night, by way of the Ridge, just as 

 a severe rain-storm is setting in, I come to the pass of 

 Oak Orchard Creek. Here is a large stone building 

 which was once a distillery. Around the top of the enor- 

 mous brick chimney, which towers up from this building, is 

 an immense cloud of many hundreds, perhaps thousands, 

 of Chimney Swifts {Chatura pelagica). They are whirling 



