N Y C T I C H E L I D O N. 



the country people and the lovers of natural history. 

 This has got it a great number of names, none of 

 them very appropriate, and yet all of them much 

 more accurate than goatsucker, which has been 

 adopted by writers, because each of them applies to 

 at least one character or habit of the bird, whereas 

 this applies to no part of its character. It is called 

 " dor-hawk," which is correct in so far as dor is con- 

 cerned, because the dor-beetle, which flies and drones 

 in the twilight, is a very favourite prey with it ; but 

 then it can with no propriety be called a hawk. It 

 is also called the fern-owl, which is right again in as 

 far as the fern is concerned ; for the undersides of 

 fronds of ferns are favourite ^haunts for the beetles 

 and larger moths, upon which also this bird lays 

 heavy contributions ; but the bird is certainly not an 

 owl either in appearance or habits. None of the 

 owls, at least none of them which are found in any 

 part of the British islands, prey on the wing ; and 

 this bird rarely, if ever, preys in any other manner. 

 Its other provincial names are mostly given to it from 

 the sounds which it utters. Those of course depend 

 much upon the fancy of the parties imposing the 

 names ; and all such nomenclature puts one forcibly 

 in mind of the proverb, 



As the fool thinks, so the bell clinks. 



This is especially the case with the local names given 

 to some of the American birds which utter wild notes, 

 or sounds rather, in the deep forests of that country. 

 The following figure will give some idea of the 

 form, and also of the markings, of the plumage of this 

 curious bird. The tints of the latter are rather sub- 

 dued, but the mottlings are exceedingly rich and 

 beautiful. 



This bird is of rather light weight for its size, as 

 no small portion of its apparent bulk consists of fea- 

 thers. Its length is at least ten inches, and the stretch 

 of the wings, which are light and gracefully made, is 

 from sixteen to eighteen. The tail is rather long, 

 rounded, and consists of three feathers. The legs 

 are slender, with the three front toes united as far as 

 the first joint, and the claw on the middle one toothed 

 like a comb. The hind toe is capable of being 

 brought forwards, so as to act in the same direction 

 with the other three. This is not decidedly a perch- 

 ing foot, that is, a foot which can hold on by a twig, 

 while the bird uses his bill in seeking food, or for any 

 other purpose, in a tree. It is simply a resting foot, 

 by means of which the bird is enabled to repose upon 

 twigs and branches until the twilight, and the appear- 

 ance of its food upon the wing, calls it into activity. 

 This food consists chiefly of beetles which are on or 



in the ground during the heat of the day. The goat- 

 sucker does not, however, search for them there ; for 

 its feet are short, feeble, and but ill adapted for walk- 

 ing. They hold on, however, with considerable 

 firmness while the bird reposes ; and in order to pro- 

 tect the muscles which move them from the chilling 

 influence of the twilight air, they are feathered down 

 below the tarsal joints. The use of the pectinated or 

 comb-like claw upon the middle toe has occasioned 

 puzzling and doubting among those writers in natural 

 history who deem it incumbent on them to mention u 

 use for every organ, and form of organ, whether they 

 happen to understand what is the real use of it or 

 not. Some say that it is for the purpose of cleaning 

 the vibrisste, or stiff bristly hairs, with which the mar- 

 gins of the mandibles, especially the upper one, are 

 armed. Others say that it is a real comb, used for 

 clearing the feathers of the bird of those nirmidce, or 

 parasitical insects, with which it is infested. Others 

 again think that this singular form of claw may be 

 useful to the animal in the securing of its prey. 



It does not appear that there is very much, or, at 

 least, very obvious truth in any of these. From the 

 remains which are found in its stomach, it does not 

 appear that this bird gives its food any preparation, 

 but that it simply catches and swallows it, just as the 

 day swallows do ; and there is perhaps no bird which 

 has a mouth better adapted for the receiving of prey 

 in an entire state. The edges of the mandibles are 

 quite incapable of cutting any thing, because the tips 

 are the only parts that can come together. Besides, 

 bristles or stiff hairs placed near the mouth of any 

 animal, whether bird or any other, are less easily 

 soiled than any other part of its covering. We must 

 therefore pause before we admit this explanation. 

 Then, as to the combing of the feathers, the case is 

 not much better. Feathers are, from their structure, 

 ungainly subjects to which to apply a comb. This 

 comb could not be applied under the wings, which is 

 the favourite place for the Nirmidce ; and most birds 

 are in the habit of scratching with their claws such 

 parts of their bodies as they can reach, the head 

 chiefly, whether the claws happen to be toothed or 

 not. Any instrument applied to the foot of a bird, 

 commands so small an extent of the surface of its 

 body, however, that it is not quite consistent with the 

 system of nature to suppose that it should have a 

 special instrument so applied. This hypothesis is 

 also untenable ; therefore, with regard to the use made 

 of the pectinated claw in securing the food, we have 

 no direct evidence ; because, from the bird preying 

 on the wing, and in the twilight, it is difficult, if not 

 impossible, to see how its prey is caught. But still 

 the probability is against the use of the foot for any 

 such purpose. Instead of being a clutching foot, the 

 foot of the goatsucker is as much the opposite as can 

 well be imagined. In clutching feet the toes are free 

 to their bases, so that the lateral ones may spread 

 outwards ; and if any of them is capable of being 

 reversed, it is always the outer one backwards, so 

 that they may act two against two in clutching. But 

 the reversing of the toe in the goatsucker is, as we 

 have said, toward the front, and, therefore, in such a 

 way as to diminish its clutching power. It may be 

 possible, however, that the bird, when it seizes a moth, 

 the expanse of whose wings is too wide for its gape, 

 may use the claw in removing these, either while it 

 holds the moth by the sharp and hooked points of the 

 mandibles, or by holding it against a twig with the 

 one foot, and trimming it with the other. The con- 



