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The family has 130 species, of which 

 3 are found in China and one in the 

 Yangtse Valley. 



JAPANESE NIGHTJAR. 

 (GOATSUCKER). 



CAPRIMULGUS JOTAKA T. AND S. 



DescrijJtion. — Length lOi inches. 

 Bill small and weak with numerous 

 rictal bristles. Eyes large, gape very 

 large, feet weak. 



Plumage a mixture of brown, grey 

 and rufous with fine wavy lines, 

 and on back and head large, 

 long, black spots. White spot on 

 the throat. Tail marked toward 

 the extremity with large white spot 

 save on the central rectrices. Tail 

 obscurely banded. 



Distribution. — Southern Asia, Japan, 

 and the whole of China. This bird is 

 a migrant passing the Yangtse Valley 

 in May and October. 



Nest and Eggs. — The eggs are laid 

 on bare ground without any sign of 

 a nest, sometimes under the shelter of 

 some projecting object. There are two 

 eggs of a dull white ground-color 

 irregularly blotched with several shades 

 of brown, the shell has a noticeable 

 gloss. 



Notes. — " It makes a peculiar noise 

 like the knocking together of two 

 pieces of wood. Perhaps this is what 

 gives it the name of Nightjar. Another 

 name is Nighthawk, and a third very 

 common one is Goatsucker. The last 

 has come from the fact that the bird 

 has frequently been seen to hang around 

 the udders of goats so that it has be- 

 come a popular belief that it sucks the 

 milk. As a matter of fact, it is the 

 flies that the bird is after. Of a 



