106 



CLASS AVES. 



The European Goatsucker (Caprimulgus Europeus) is 

 the only species known here. This bird has received a 

 variety of popular names, which have been, many of them, 

 adopted by naturalists. Such as flying-toad, square-tailed 

 swallow, night-raven, night-hawk, dorr-hawk, churn and 

 fern owl, &c. Its food, mode of taking it, and style of 

 flying caused it to receive the name of square-tailed 

 swallow. 



This bird is solitary ; two of them are rarely seen together, 

 and even then they preserve a tolerable distance from each 

 other. It frequents mountains and plains, almost ahvays 

 conceals itself under a bush, or in the young coppices, and 

 seems to give the preference to dry and stony soils, and those 

 which are covered with briars. Its mode of perching diifers 

 from that of other birds ; it fixes itself longitudinally on the 

 branch, which it seems to tread like the cock, from which 

 circumstance it is often called chauche-branche in many parts 

 of France. It is difficult to be perceived, when in this 

 position, from the dulness of its colours, and their approxima- 

 tion to that of the branches. It is when thus situated that it 

 principally utters its peculiar cry, which having some resem- 

 blance to that of a toad, has gained for it, in France, the 

 popular name of crapaud-volatit. This cry is a plaintive 

 sort of sound, repeated three or four times in succession. 

 The noise which it makes in flying is dissimilar, and, accord- 

 ing to some, is a cry of another kind. But, according to 

 others, it is caused by the air, which it engulphs in its large 

 throat, since it flies Avith its mouth open, which produces a 

 humming noise, like to that of a spinning-wheel. This 

 opinion seems probable, especially if it be true, as is asserted, 

 that the sound varies according to the different degrees of 

 velocity in the flight. 



This demi-nocturnal bird never quits its retreat but 

 towards twilight ; or, if it ever do so, it is only in sombre 

 and cloudy weather, fox it is dazzled by a strong light. The 



