THE CAROLINA GOAT-SUCKER. 



99 



The damage which is done by these brown-backed, white-ribbed, hook-tailed beetles is 

 almost incredible, for they are not only extremely destructive in their larval states, but are 

 scarcely less voracious when they have assumed their perfect form. Passing a life of three 

 years or so below the level of the ground, the larvse 

 of the cockchafer shear away the grass-roots and 

 other subterranean vegetation with their scissor-like 

 jaws, and are constantly busy in satiating the hunger 

 of their huge stomachs, which occnipy nearly the 

 whole of the body of the grub. When they have 

 passed througli their earlier changes of form, the 

 cockchaffers rise from the ground, and, taking to 

 flight, settle upon the trees and devour the foliage just 

 as they had jireviously fed upon the roots. Sometimes 

 a whole series of trees may be seen, which have been 

 entirely stripped of their leaves by the chaffers. I 

 well remember seeing a row of trees that extended 

 along a country road tliat had been totally despoiled 

 of their foliage, and which stretched their naked 

 bi"anches abroad as if they had been blasted by the 

 destroying breath of the Simoom. 



A VEKT remarkable form of plumage is seen in 

 the Ltee-tailed Goat-sucker. 



;This beautiful bird is a native of Columbia, and is 

 notable for the extraordinary development of the 

 outer tail-feathers. Although the bird itself is by 

 no means large, very little exceeding tlie common 

 Nightjar in dimensions, the total length of an adult 

 male Lyre-tailed Goat-sucker is nearly three feet. In- 

 deed, the general contour of the body and plumage re- 

 mind the observer strongly of the resplendent Trogon, 

 a bird which will very shortly be described and 

 figured. 



The general color 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 elon- 

 gated 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, while 

 the inner is almost an inch and a half in width. Sev- 

 eral feathers of the tail project for some distance, and 

 lie upon the base of the elongated feathers. 



The Cabolina 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 cannot 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 decayed trees, or other 



LTRE-TAILBD GOATSUCKER.— Co/jnmJi/yKS lyra. 



