138 FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 



secured my bird, which on examination turned out to be our 

 largest Goit-sucker, Nyitibius jamaicensis, 6m. On questioning 

 some of the oldet mom'oors of our peasantry I found only two 

 cases in which it was known that the call came from some bird, 

 but what bird they could not say. 



The " Poor me one " calls only from February to June, both 

 months inclusive. It is strictly a nocturnal bird, feeding on 

 night beetles, th3 largo fire-fly being its chief victim. The bird 

 answers readily to a poor imitation of its call and can bo nude 

 to follow one at will. Jt is very unsuspecting, and will not move 

 until one is within a few yards of it. Its prey is caught on the 

 wing, and after each " catch " the bird returns to its perch. The 

 dimensions are : length 13|", stretch of wing 28", length of tail 7", 

 stretch of mouth from tips of mandibles 1". This tremendous gape 

 serves as a net with which to catch its prey. The " Poor me one " 

 never calls on dark nights nor is it seen in the day. It is a 

 graceful flyer, flapping its wings but seldom. The sound of the 

 call travels over a distance of at least 800 yards, but when at 

 that distance, or even at considerably less, say from 4-500 yards, 

 not more than three to four notes can be distinctly heard. On 

 getting within 2 to 300 yards the last two of the six notes are 

 somewhat similar to the faint cooing of a domesticated cock- 

 pigeon, wooing his spouse. Both sexes call, and are alike in 

 plumage. They seem to be more partial to the low than to the 

 high lands. 



Caparo, 



May 27th, 1894. 



