S6 PASSERES. — CAPRIMULGID^. 



birds, when the moon is at or near the full, continue 

 on the wing through the night.* On dark rainy- 

 days, such as we get sometimes in May, I have 

 seen and heard two or three abroad even in the 

 middle of the day, careering just as at nightfall. 



Early in the morning, before the grey dawn has 

 peeped over the mountain, I have heard over the 

 pastures of Pinnock Shafton, great numbers of these 

 birds evidently flying low, and hawking to and fro. 

 Their cries were uttered in rapid succession, and 

 resounded from all parts of the air, though it was 

 too dark to distinguish even such as were apparently 

 in near proximity. Now and again, the hollow 

 booming sound, like blowing into the bung-hole of a 

 barrel, produced at the moment of perpendicular 

 descent, as described by "Wilson, fell on my ear. 



The articulations or syllables, if I may so say, 

 which make up the note, are usually four, but some- 



* I may be permitted here to record a tribute of affection to this faith- 

 ful servant, Samuel Campbell, whose name may often appear in this work. 

 A negro lad of about eighteen, with only the rudiments of education, he 

 soon approved himself a most useful assistant by his faithfulness, his tact 

 in learning, and then his skill in practising, the art of preparing natural 

 subjects, his patience in pursuing animals, his powers of observation of 

 facts, and the truthfulness with which he reported them, as well as by 

 the accuracy of his memory with respect to species. Often and often, 

 when a thing has appeared to me new, I have appealed to Sam, who on 

 a moment's examination would reply, "No, we took this in such a 

 place, or on such a day," and I invariably found on my return home 

 that his memory was correct. I never knew him in the slightest degree 

 attempt to embellish a fact, or report more than he had actually seen. 

 He remained with me all the time I was in the island, and was of great 

 service to me. Many of the subjects of this work were obtained by him, 

 when I was not myself with him, and some which I believe to be 

 unique. 



