638 NIGHTJAR 



NIGHTJAR or Goatsucker, a bird from very ancient times 

 absurdly believed to have the habit implied by one of the common 

 names it bears in many European tongues besides our own — as 

 testified by the Greek KlyoO-qXas, the Latin Caprimulgus, Italian 

 Succiacapre, Spanish Chotacahras, French TeUechhre, and German 

 Ziegenmelker. It is admittedly the type of a very peculiar and 

 distinct Family, Caprimulgidse, a group remarkable for the flat head, 

 enormously wide mouth, large eyes, and soft, pencilled plumage 

 of its members, which vary in size from that of a Lark to that of a 

 Jay. Its position has been variously assigned by systematists. 

 Prof. Huxley considered it to form, with two other Families — the 

 Cypselidse (Swift) and TrocMlidse (Humming-bird) — the division 

 Cypselomorph^. The same view was taken in 1884 by Dr. 

 Reichenow; but in 1885 Dr. Stejneger proposed to place it in a 

 " Superorder " Coracoidex along with Steatornis (Guacharo), Coraciidse 

 (Roller) and Leptosomatidse ; while in 1888, Prof. Fiirbringer put 

 it between the Rollers and Owls, with which it forms in his opinion 

 a group Coraciiformes. There are two ways of regarding the 

 Caprimulgidae — one including the genus Fodargus (Morepork) and 

 its allies, the other recognizing them as a distinct Family, Podargidse, 

 as is done among others by Mr. Hartert {Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xvi. 

 pp. 519-654). As a matter of convenience the last are here 

 comprehended in the Caprimulgidse, which will then contain two 

 subfamilies, Caprimulginse and Podarginx ; for Avhat, according to 

 older authors, constitutes a third, though represented only by 

 Steatornis, the singular Guacharo or Oil -bird, certainly requires 

 separation as an independent Family. 



Some of the differences between the Caprimulginse and Podargime 

 were pointed out by Mr. Sclater {Proc. Zool. Soc. 1866, p. 123), and 

 are very obvious. In the former, the outer toes have/owr phalanges 

 only, thus presenting a very uncommon character among Birds, and 

 the middle claws are pectinated ; while in the latter the normal 

 number of five phalanges is found, the claws are smooth, and other 

 distinctions more recondite have also been indicated by him {torn, 

 clt. p. 582). The Caprimulginm may be further divided into those 

 having the gape thickly beset by strong bristles, and those in which 

 there are few such bristles or none — the former containing the 



truth, he cut out her tongue to hinder her from revealing his deceit ; but she 

 depicted her sad story on a robe which she sent to Procne ; and the two sisters 

 then contrived a horrible revenge for the infidelity of Tereus, by killing and serv- 

 ing to him at table his son Itys. Thereupon the gods interposed, changing 

 Tereus into a Hoopoe, Procne into a Swallow, and Philomela into a Nightingale, 

 while Itys was restored to life as a Pheasant, and Pandion (who had died of grief 

 at his daughters' dishonour) as a Bird-of-Prey (see Osprey). The fable has 

 several variants. Ovid's version may be seen in the 6th Book of his Meta- 

 mor2')hoses (lines 412-676). 



