112 CLASS AVES. 



in the interior of the tree, a low humming noise. Not know- 

 ing what this could be, they took some precaution to ascertain 

 from what kind of animal the noise proceeded, fearing, with 

 some reason, that a nest of serpents might be lurking there. 

 They were, however, much surprized by finding two large 

 birds, which they drew out of the hole, one after the other. 

 M. Levaillant preserved them alive for two days. The light 

 of the sun so affected them, that they did not attempt to 

 escape during the day, but they made a desperate bustle at 

 night in a basket in which they were confined. 



These were the only two of the species which M. Levaillant 

 ever saw. During the night alone they uttered a tremulous 

 guttural sound, with the mouth so wide open that a large 

 apple might have been introduced into it. The tongue of 

 this bird is very small, and placed at the entrance of the 

 throat. The species does not appear to be common. 



The Urutau {Caprimulgus cornutus of Vieill.) is so named 

 from the short erect feathers over each eye having a fancied 

 resemblance to horns. D'Azara informs us, that they remain 

 in Paraguay from October to February, and perch on high 

 trees, clinging by the claws in the manner of the woodpecker, 

 and very seldom come to the ground. The male and female 

 answer each other during the whole night by long and melan- 

 choly cries. They lay two brown and spotted eggs ih a small 

 cleft of a dry tree, and without any nest ; and, according to 

 credible information received by D'Azara, the female sits on, 

 or rather covers, these eggs by hanging vertically on the side 

 of the tree, and bringing the breast on the small cleft Avhich 

 contains the eggs. The report in the country is, indeed, that 

 these birds have the means of affixing their eggs to the tree 

 by means of some agglutinous substance, but M. D'Azara was 

 not able to verify this statement. It may derive some degree 

 of probability, from the consideration that the mouth of all 

 the species of this genus seems to be furnished with a sort 

 of gluten which assists them in the capture of insects, and 



