218 ' THE EUROPEAN GOATSUCKER. 



Family III. 



( Caprimulgidce. ) Linn. 



The members of this family resemble the swallows and owls 

 intermingled. Like the swallows, they live chiefly on insects 

 caught on the wing, and, like the owls, they are nocturnal, or 

 fly in the twilight. They have the length of wings and tail, 

 and speed of the one, with the soft, downy plumage of the 

 other ; along with the short bill and wide gape of the swallows 

 and swifts, they have the large, fixed eyes of the owl. Their 

 feet and toes (with the exception of the middle toe) being also 

 weak, they can only hobble in walking, like the swallows. The 

 upper margin of their very wide gape is furnished with long, 

 movable bristles, which form a network to retain their insect 

 prey. Being nocturnal feeders, they are not inaptly called the 

 night hawk. As there is only one European species, conse- 

 quently there is only one seen near St Andrews. 



The European Goatsucker. 



(CapiHmulgus Europaius.) Linn. 



" The night hawk is singing his frog-like tune 

 And twirling his watchman's rattle about." — Wordsivorth. 



This bird is sometimes called the night-jar, night hawk, fern- 

 owl, churr owl, &c. Like the swallows and swifts, it is a 

 summer visitant, arriving about the end of May — later than the 

 swifts. It is the last of our summer migrants, and departs 

 about the end of September. It received its absurd name of 

 caprimulgus (goatsucker) from the ancients, in the foolish 

 belief that, from the size of its mouth, it fastened on the teats 

 of the goat. 



Aristotle, in his " History of Animals," says : — " The bird 

 called ctigothelas is a mountain bird ; a little larger than t a 

 blackbird, and a little less than the cuckoo. It lays eggs — two 

 or three at most— and is of a slothful nature. Flying upon the 

 goats, it sucks them, hence its name. They say when it has 

 sucked the teat it becomes dry and the goat becomes blind. It 





