I 



THE GOAT-SUCKER. 311 



Where, 'midst shades dark and sombre, and shrouded 



from sight, 

 They shrank from the glances of strong piercing light. 

 They often, whenever the parrots were still, 

 Exclaim'd ** Willy come go!" or now, " Whip^ whip, 



poor wilir 

 " Who are you .*" was another monotonous lay ; 

 And another repeated, *' Work, luork, work away T' 

 Whilst a ''Ha!" "heard aloud, in the wild, distant 



wood, 

 Oft repeated, yet fainter, spake murder and blood. 



of stiff bristles; niontli wide; tongue small, pointed, entire; 

 toes connected by a membrane as far as the first joint; tail 

 feathers ten. These birds seldom appear in the day-time, 

 unless when disturbed, or in dark cloudy weather, but wander 

 about in the evening in search of insects, on which they feed. 

 They lay two eggs, which they deposit on the naked ground. 



The Europaus, Goat-sucker, European Goat-sucker, Noctur- 

 nal Gnat-sucker y Night- Hawk, Dorr-hawk, Churn-Owl, Goat-Owl, 

 Wheel bird, or Night-jur, is ten inches long; mouth excessively 

 wide; plumage beautifully diversified with black, brown, 

 ferruginous, and white, speckled and dashed with cinereous ; 

 beneath ferruginous brown. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

 During summer, from May to September, frequents the woods 

 of this country ; feeds chiefly on beetles and moths; hence is, 

 most probably, a very useful bird. The absurd story formerly 

 related of it, namely, that of sucking goats, whence its name, no 

 longer credited. Its note is similar to the sound of a spinning 

 wheel, besides which it has a sharp squeak. Eggs whitish, 

 marked with light brown and ash colour, larger than tho^^e of a 

 blackbird; these are laid on the ground amongst fern, heath, 

 long grass, &r. It begins its flight in the dusk of the evening in 



