1053 



GNU. 



GOAT-SUCKERS. 



1051 



is tubular ; at first quite closed up, in the manner of certain A Ho- 

 carpece, but eventually it is ruptured by the rising of the stamen. 

 There is no trace of a perianth of this sort in the neighbouring 

 orders ; but in Conifera a totally different organisation of anther 

 occurs, that part not opening, as in Gne'acetf, by transverse pores of 

 the apex, but always at the side, and generally longitudinally." 



The species of this family are natives of the temperate parts of 

 Europe, Asia,nnd South America. Gnetum is an inhabitant of the 

 hottest parts of India and Guyana. 



Some of the species of Gnetum are used as food. The seeds of 

 0. Gnetum are eaten in Amboyna, and are roasted, boiled, or fried. 

 The green leaves are cooked and eaten like spinach. The inside of 

 the fruit of G. urem is lined with stinging hairs; the seeds are, 

 however, eaten ; the stem exut.es a transparent gum, and when cut 

 across yields a large quantity of transparent water, which is drunk. 



(Lindley, Natural System of Botany.) 



GNU. [ANTILOPE.E.] 



GOAT. [CAPRE.E.] 



GOAT'S-BEARD. [TRAGOPOGON.] 



GOAT-MOTH. [Cossus ] 



GOAT-PEPPER. [CAPSICUM.] 



GOATSUCKERS, the English name of those Night-Swallows 

 commonly termed Night-Jars; whence the name Caprimulgidce, by 

 which the family ia generally known among ornithologists. Mr. 

 Rennie changes the name of the European Night-Jar to Nyctichelidon 

 (Night-Swallow), objecting that the name Goat-Sucker, which it has 

 received in all languages, and which, he thinks, has been most 

 absurdly continued by systematic naturalists hi the term Caprim ulyui, 

 shows the opinion of it entertained by the vulgar. Now we cannot 

 admit this great absurdity, though we entirely agree with Mr. Rennie 

 that " it is as impossible for the night-jar to suck the teats of cattle 

 (though most birds are fond of milk), as it is for cats to suck the 

 breath from sleeping infants, of which they are popularly accused." 

 If every zoological name that haa not a sure foundation were to be 

 changed, there would be no small alteration in nomenclature and not 

 a little confusion ; as it is, the perpetual change of names is quite 

 sufficiently perplexing. Nor are we at all sure that such names as 

 Caprimulgut are not of some value as showing, in connection with a 

 true history of the habits of the bird, how the errors and super- 

 stitions of old times have vanished before the light of modern 

 investigation. Thus much as an apology for not changing the family 

 name Caprimulyida. 



Mr. Vigors remarks that when we search among the Perchers for 

 that point where they approximate the Owls, we at once light upon 

 a group, the Caprimulgut of Linnaeus, whose genera] appearance and 

 habits point out the affinity. " The nocturnal and predatory manners 

 of this genus," says Mr. Vigors, " the hawking flight, the legs 

 feathered to the talons, the large ears and eyes, the very disc that 

 surrounds the face, and the pectination of the external quill-feathers, 

 observable in some of the species, the general softness of the plumage, 

 together with its peculiarly striking colour and markings, produce a 

 similarity between it and the Strix that has attracted the eye of the 

 common observer no less than the naturalist. The provincial names 

 of this genus have generally a reference to this resemblance; while 

 the earlier scientific describers of the different species have for the 

 most part ranked them with the owls. I know not whether the 

 singular character observable in some of the species of this family, 

 the serrated nail of the middle toe, may not be cited as an addi- 

 tional proof of their approach to the birds of prey. The strong toes 

 of the hitter are lost in Caprimulyas : but a construction of similar 

 import (for the serration of the nail appears capable of being applied 

 to the purposes of seizure only), preserves, though faintly, the 

 resemblance. May we not almost venture to affirm that this appar- 

 ently trivial appendage is an instance of that beautiful shading by 

 which nature softens down the extremes of her neighbouring groups 

 one of those minute and delicate touches by which she marks at 

 once an affinity and a deviation ? But while we may discern at a 

 glance the general approximation of these two families, we must at 

 the same time acknowledge that they stand in need of an intermediate 

 link to give them a closer connection. The weakness of the bill and 

 of the legs and feet of the Caprimulyui still keeps it at some distance 

 from the owls, in which the same members are comparatively 

 sft-ong; while the wide gape of its mouth serves to divide the 

 families still further. A connecting link has been however supplied 

 by an Australian group, the Podargua of M. Cuvier, which harmonises 

 these discrepant characters. We have an opportunity of observing 

 among the specimens in the collection of the Liunean Society, how 

 far the bill of this extraordinary genus combines the different forms 

 of that of the two genera, and how far the legs, still maintaining 

 the characteristics of C'aprlmulyui, such as the unequal length of the 

 toes, are related to those of Strix by their superior robustness. Here 

 indeed there is a beautiful gradation of affinities. All the front toes 

 of Caprimulyut are united by a connecting membrane as far as to the 

 first joint; those of M>-i.r are divided to the origin; while those of 

 :/iu partake of the characters of both, in having the middle 

 toe connected with the outer, but divided from the inner. Again, as 

 I have already remarked, Caprimulgut has the nail of the middle toe 

 dilated and serrated : f-lrir has it, generally speaking, undulated and 



entire at the margin ; but in Podaryus the same part displays the 

 singular dilatation of the one and the marginal integrity of the other 

 It is difficult to say to which of these groups it comes nearest, until 

 further and more accurate accounts than we at present possess of its 

 food and economy may determine its actual situation. At present it 

 remains oscillant between the two families, and may decidedly be 

 pronounced the immediate passage from the birds of prey to the 

 perchers." Mr. Vigors adds in a note that he had latterly obtained 

 accounts from actual observers of some of these Podaryi in Australia 

 stating their manners to be generally conformable to those of th 

 Caprimulgi. 



Mr. Vigors further observes that the union between the two families 

 of Caprimulyida and Jlirundinidce in the most essential particulars, 

 in the habits, economy, and general conformation, is too evident to 

 the common observer, and too universally acknowledged by scientific 

 writers, to need any further illustration. But he remarks that it is 

 gratifying to observe how, even in minute particulars, a gradual 

 succession of affinities imperceptibly smooths the passage between 

 conterminous groups; nor does he pass over without remark the 

 circumstance of the hind toe of Caprimidgus being usually retractile, 

 which enables it to place all its toes in front, in a similar position to 

 that which they maintain in Cypsclius, where the family of the Hirun- 

 dinidce terminates. He notices also the conformation of the tail in 

 the two families as showing a similar affinity, observing that some 

 species of Caprimulyus, then lately arrived from Brazil, exhibit the 

 forked tail of Hit-undo, one of which, indeed, the 0. psalurus of 

 Temminck, has this character developed to an almost disproportionate 

 degree. " Leaving those typical families," continues Mr. Vigors, 

 " with the short bill, and taking a general survey of the tribe, we 

 may perceive that the Caprimulgidce unite themselves to the longer- 

 billed families, by means of the Linnean Todi, which preserve the 

 broad base of the bill of the latter, but lead on, by comparative 

 length of that member, to the succeeding family of Halcyonidie. If 

 we compare the bill of the type of the last-mentioned genus, the 

 Todui viridie, Linn. [MusciCAi'iDJ:], with those of Caprimulyus and 

 Halcyon [KINGFISHERS], we shall perceive that it stands exactly mid- 

 way between them in the relative proportions of strength and breadth 

 which it bears to each. In the length also of the tail, an important 

 character in the groups that feed ou the wing, it maintains a middle 

 station between them." For the group which forms the immediate 

 connection between the present family of Todidce and the preceding 

 Caprimulgidce, Mr. Vigors observes that we are indebted to Dr. Hors- 

 field, since in the depressed and broad-based bill and wide gape of 

 Eurylaimus we recognise the characters which unite those families 

 [MUSCICAPID/E], and Mr. Vigors refers to the valuable plates of the 

 ' Zoological Researches in Java ' as exhibiting the intimate approach 

 of the bill of this latter genus to that of Podargus Javanemis, Near 

 to Eurylaimus, which in the opinion of Mr. Vigors is united to Tuclus 

 by some species now referred to the former genus, but which were 

 originally included in the latter, he would place the genus Eiirystomus 

 of Vieillot [MEROPID.E], which in the essential characters of the bill, 

 and from all Mr. Vigors could ascertain of its general habits and 

 economy, seems to him to bear a striking affinity to the present group. 

 Here also the same considerations would incline him to arrange the 

 Calyptoiiicna of Sir Stamford KafHes, which differs chiefly from the 

 groups now mentioned in its comparatively shorter bill and the 

 singular covering of plumes that project over the upper mandible. 

 All these and some other corresponding genera will be found, Mr. 

 Vigors makes no doubt, on more accurate knowledge of their economy, 

 to belong either to the present family, which is placed at the extre- 

 mity of the fiiiirostres, or to that of Pipridie, which forms, in the 

 system of Mr. Vigors, one of the aberrant groups also of the neigh- 

 bouring circle of Dentirostres, and thus comes in contact with the 

 Todidce. Mr. Vigors admits that more extensive knowledge respecting 

 these birds will determine the line of demarcation between them ; 

 but the general affinity by which they approach each other, at least, in 

 continuous families, may at once, in his opinion, be decided without 

 hesitation. (' On the Natural Affinities that counect the Orders and 

 Families of Birds,' ' Linn. Trans.,' vol. xv.) 



Mr. Swainson ( ( Classification of Birds ') considers the order of 

 Fissirostres to be best represented by the Swallows and Goat-Suckers; 

 observing at the same time that the former are the most isolated, 

 whilst the latter, above all other birds, show the nearest affinity to 

 the Owls. " No species indeed," says Mr. Swainson, " has been yet 

 discovered which would perplex a naturalist to decide to which of 

 these families it belonged, but that is not material ; we do not uphold 

 the injudicious theory that every one of nature's links is so perfect, 

 or rather so well known, as to leave no unequal intervals in the series ; 

 ou the contrary, we maintain that such interruptions are frequently 

 found, and in this manner are the Goat-Suckers detached by a slight 

 interval from the Owls." The same author remarks that the Fissi- 

 rostral Birds, as a whole, are peculiarly distinguished by having the 

 powers of flight developed in the highest degree ; all the energies of 

 their nature, he observes, seem concentrated in this one perfection ; 

 for their feet are always very short, weak, and generally so imperfect 

 as to be of use only to rest the body after flight ; their food being 

 exclusively insects captured upon the wing. " To accomplish this," 

 proceeds Mr. Swniiison "nature has given to their mouth an 



