78 CAPRIMULGIN^E. CAPRIMULGUS. 



with the edges inflected toward the end ; lower mandible 

 with the angle long and very wide, the dorsal line ascend- 

 ing, the crura extremely narrow, the narrow tip curved up-r 

 wards ; gape-line commencing beneath the posterior angle 

 of the eye. Tongue very small, triangular ; oesophagus 

 rather wide, without crop ; proventriculus large ; stomach 

 very large, round, membranous, with the epithelium thin ; 

 intestine short ; coeca large, oblong, narrow at the com- 

 mencement. Nostrils linear, with a horny operculum, in the 

 fore part of the large, sparsely feathered, nasal membrane. 

 Eyes very large. Apertures of ears very large, semilunar. 

 Head very large, depressed, flattened above ; neck rather 

 short ; body very small. Feet extremely small ; tarsus very 

 short, feathered anteriorly to near the base ; first toe very 

 small, anterior toes webbed at the base, the third much 

 longer ; claws very small, arched, compressed, that of the 

 middle toe proportionally longer, curved outwards, and pec- 

 tinate on ita inner thin edge. Plumage full, very soft, 

 blended ; large flattened bristles along the base of the bill ; 

 wings very long, narrow, with the second quill longest, the 

 first little shorter ; tail very long, of ten broad rounded fea- 

 thers. 



The Goatsuckers fly in the dusk, in gloomy weather, or in 

 the shade of woods, or by moonlight, feeding on insects, 

 especially moths and beetles, which they seize on wing. 

 Their feet not being formed for grasping, they seldom perch 

 transversely on a branch. They nestle in a bare place on 

 the ground, laying two broadly elliptical eggs. Species occur 

 in most parts of the globe, but are not numerous in the colder 

 or temperate parts. 



36. CAPRIMULGUS EUROP^US. EUROPEAN GOATSUCKER. 



Upper parts grey, minutely dotted and undulated with 

 dusky, and variegated with yellowish-red, the head and back 

 longitudinally streaked with black ; lower parts transversely 

 undulated with light red and dusky. In the male, the outer 

 three quills have a large white spot on the inner web, and the 

 two lateral tail-feathers are largely tipped with white. The 

 young in their first plumage are similar to the female, but 

 somewhat darker. The claw of the middle toe has about ten 

 teeth, but frequently the tip is broken. 



