GOATSUCKERS. 55 



upon which it crouches, as if fearful of falling off. The middle anterior toe is 

 considerably longer than the others, and terminated by a claw singularly 

 toothed, so as to resemble a comb. The goatsucker is usually met with about 

 moors, heaths, and commons ; but it also frequents woods. Its period of 

 activity is the twilight, when it may be seen hawking after its favourite food, 

 sweeping swiftly round trees frequented by beetles and moths, which it devours 

 in great numbers. It frequently emits a sort of whirring sound, resembling the 

 noise made by a spinning-wheel : hence it is known as the "Wheel-Bird" in 

 some districts, and in others as the " Night-charr," " Night-jar," and " Churn- 

 Owl." It is likewise called the " Night-Hawk," and the " Dor-Hawk," from its 

 appetite for night-flying beetles called "Dors;" and likewise the" Fern-Owl," 

 from its frequenting fern brakes. The name " Goatsucker " is derived from 

 its supposed habit of sucking the milk of goats during the night, a false sus- 

 picion, which has doubtless given the bird a bad character in the eyes of 

 farmers, whilst, by the destruction of vast quantities of cockchafers, it is, in 

 reality, one of their best friends. 



" When the moon shines bright," says Mr. Waterton, " you may have a fair 

 opportunity of examining the goatsucker : you will see it close by the cows, 

 goats, and sheep, jumping up every now and then under their bellies. Approach 

 a little nearer: he is not shy ; ' he fears no danger, for he knows no sin.' See 

 how the nocturnal flies are tormenting the kine, and with what dexterity he 

 ■ springs up and catches them as fast as they alight on the belly, legs, and udders 

 of the poor animals. Observe how quietly they stand, and how sensible they 

 seem of his good offices ; for they neither strike at him, nor hit him with their 

 tail, nor tread on him, nor try to drive him away as an uncivil intruder. Were 

 you to dissect him and inspect his stomach, you would find no milk there ; it 

 is full of the flies that have been annoying the herd." Doubtless, the same 

 habit thus noted by Mr. Waterton must have been observed by the ancients 

 in Southern Europe, who, mistaking the object of the bird, bestowed on it its 

 vernacular name. 



The cries uttered by many species of these birds are very peculiar, " A 

 goatsucker inhabits Demerara (about the size of an English wood-owl), whose 

 voice is so remarkable that, when once heard, it is not easily to be forgotten. 

 A stranger would never believe it to be the cry of a bird, but would say it was 

 the departing voice of a midnight-murdered victim, or the last wailing of poor 

 Niobe for her children, before she was turned to stone. Suppose a person in 

 hopeless sorrow, beginning with a high loud note — 'Ha, ha ! ha, ha ! ha!' — 

 each note lower and lower, till the last is scarcely heard, pausing a moment 

 or two between each exclamation, and you will have some idea of the moan- 

 ing of the great goatsucker of Demerara. Other species articulate some words 

 so distinctly that they have received their names from the sentences they utter, 

 and absolutely bewilder a stranger on his arrival in their vicinity. One sits 

 down close to your door, or flies and alights three or four yards before you as 

 you walk along the road, crying, ' Who are you ! who, who are you ! ' Another 

 bids you — ' Work away ! work, work, work away ! ' A third cries mournfully, 

 ' Willy-come-go ! Willy, Willy, Willy-come-go ! ' and a fourth tells you to 

 ' Whip poor Will ! whip poor VVill I' in tones wonderfully clear and startling." 

 —Waterton. 



The figure in the next page represents another of these vociferous birds, 

 named from its cry " Chuck Will's Widow." 



Equally remarkable are the cries emitted by some of the Old World goat- 

 suckers. The Jungle Night-jar [Caprimulgiis Indiais) — a species to be met 



