450 



TRIBE III. FISSIROSTRES. 



405. In this tribe, we find the characters of the latter families 

 of the preceding, carried to a much greater extent ; the bill being 

 extremely depressed, its gape enormous, and its angles being 

 furnished (in the typical forms) with very strong bristles. The 

 feet, too, are very short and weak, as these Birds feed chiefly on 

 the wing ; but their powers of flight are very remarkable. They 

 feed principally upon insects, which they pursue and capture in 

 the air ; but some of the larger species live on fish. In this 

 tribe are included the CAPRIMULGID.E, or Goatsuckers ; the 

 HIRUNDINID.E, or Swallows ; the TODID^J, or Todies ; the TRO- 

 GONID.E, or Trogons ; the ALCEDINID^:, or Kingfishers; and 

 the MEROPHXE, or Bee-eaters. 



406. The Birds of the family CAPRIMULGID^J are, for the 

 most part, nocturnal in their habits ; and they have the soft 

 downy plumage, and the dingy colours, of the Owls. The bill 

 is here extremely remarkable for the width of its gape, which, 

 in the true Goatsuckers^ extends far beyond the eyes ; but it is at 



FIG. 251. EUROPEAN GOATSUCKER. 



the same time extremely weak, and is incapable of seizing any- 

 thing that requires a firm grasp. The angles of the mouth are 



