The Wit of the Wild 



r 



bristles, some of which reach out far beyond 

 the tip of the bill and then curve inward, aiding 

 in the capture of the bird's agile prey by en- 

 tangling their wings as if in a trap. 



Another resemblance to the owls (and inci- 

 dentally to the nocturnal moths as compared 

 with the diurnal butterflies) is found in the 

 fluffy softness and neutral tints of the plumage. 



Complete noiselessness is highly important to 

 the success of nocturnal creatures, whether 

 hunting or hiding; and even more so is invisi- 

 bility of hue. Gay colors need daylight for 

 their display, as well as for easy recognition, 

 and would not only be wasted upon a night- 

 ranging animal, but might become a source of 

 positive danger during the day, exposing the 

 wearer to discovery and an assault that he could 

 neither avoid nor repel. The night- jars are 

 utterly defenseless birds. The Southern chuck- 

 will's-widow is said to pretend to prodigious 

 powers of harm, ruffling its feathers and hissing 

 like a snake when disturbed from its rest in a 

 hollow log ; but in reality it can make no defense, 

 and like the others must rely wholly upon being 

 + 166 $+> 



