THE GOATSUCKERS. 



371 



milking the flocks. Poor injured little bird of night, how sadly hast thou suffered, and how 

 a stain has inattention to facts put 

 upon thy chai'acter ! Thou hast never 

 robbed man of any part of his property, 

 nor deprived the kid of a drop of milk. 



" When the moon, shines bright 

 you may have a fair opportunity of 

 examining the Goatsucker. You will 

 see it close by the Cows, Goats, and 

 Sheep, jumping up every now and then 

 under their bellies. Approach a little 

 nearer he is not shy : ' he fears no 

 danger, for he knows no sin.' See 

 how the nocturnal flies are tormenting 

 the herd, and with what dexterity he 

 springs up and catches them as fast as 

 they alight on the bellies, legs, and 

 udders of the animals. Observe how 

 quiet they stand, and how sensible they 

 seem of his good offices, for they neither 

 strike at him nor hit him with their 

 tails, nor tread on him, nor try to drive 

 him away as an uncivil intruder. Were 

 you to dissect him and inspect his 

 stomach, you would find no milk there. 

 It is full of the flies which have been 

 annoying the herd. 



" The pretty mottled plumage of 

 the Goatsucker, like that of the Owl, 

 wants the lustre which is observed in 

 the feathers of the birds of day. This 

 at once marks him as a lover of the 

 pale moon's nightly beams. There are 

 nine species here (Demerara) ; the 

 largest appears nearly the size of the 

 English Wood Owl. Its cry is so 

 remarkable that, having once heard it, 

 you will never forget it. When night 

 reigns over these immeasurable wilds, 

 whilst lying in your hammock, you will 

 hear this Goatsucker lamenting like 

 one in deep distress. A stranger would 

 never conceive it to be the cry of a 

 bird ; he would say it was the departing 

 voice of a midnight murdered victim, 

 or the last wailing of Niobe for her 

 poor children before she was turned 

 into stone. Suppose yourself in hope- 

 less sorrow, begin with a high loud 

 note, and pronounce ' Ha, ha, ha, ha, 

 ha, ha, ha ! ' each note lower and lower, 

 till the last is scarcely heard, pausing 

 a moment or two betwixt every note, LYUE-TAILED NIGHTJAR. 



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