THE CAROLINA GOAT-SUCKER 



121 



little exceeding the common English 

 Nightjar in dimensions, the total length 

 of an adult male Lyre-tailed Goat- 

 sucker is nearly three feet. Indeed, the 

 general contour of the body and plum- 

 age remind the observer strongly of 

 the resplendent Trogon, a bird which 

 will very shortly be described and 

 figured. The general colour of this 

 species is the mottled dark and light 

 brown which is universal among the 

 Goat-suckers, but is diversified by a 

 band round the neck of rich chestnut. 

 The primaries are nearly black, with 

 the exception of a few chestnut spots 

 scattered irregularly upon their necks. 

 The extremely elongated tail-feathers 

 are deep brown-black, edged with a 

 warm band of pale brown upon the 

 inner web. The outer web is hardly 

 a quarter of an inch wide, whiTe the 

 inner is almost an inch and a half in 

 width. Several feathers of the tail 

 project for some distance, and lie upon 

 the base of the elongated feathers. 



The CAROLINA GOAT-SUCKER is more 

 popularly known under the title of 

 CHUCK- WILL'S- WIDOW, a name which 

 it has earned in consequence of its 

 repeated utterance of a cry that exactly 

 resembles those words. 



This pretty and interesting bird 

 resides in the deepest ravines, swamps, 

 and pine ridges, where it can not only 

 obtain shelter and a convenient nesting- 

 place, but is also sure of finding a 

 plentiful supply of insect prey. It 

 prefers to roost in the hollows of de- 

 cayed trees, or other retired spots, and 

 is not unfrequently found tenanting 

 the same habitation together with a 

 large company of bats. 



The nest is as open and undefended 

 as is the case with most of the Goat- 

 suckers, and the eggs and young would 

 probably be exposed to considerable 

 danger, were it not for the wonderful 

 care and ingenuity displayed by the 

 parents when their offspring are in 

 danger. The following account of the 

 behaviour of the bird when it fears 

 that its nesting-place has been dis- 

 covered, is given by Audubon. 



"When the Chuck-WilTs-Widow, 

 either male or female, for each sits 

 alternately, has discovered that its eggs 



LYRE-TAILED GOAT-SUCKER. Caprimulgus Lyra. 



