THE N AC VXD A GOATSUCKER, 103 



The eggs of this bird are placed on the bare ground, and when a stranger happens to 

 approach the spot where they are lying, the parent bird immediately flings herself in the way 

 of the intruder, and by tumbling about in front of him, as if she had broken a wing or other- 

 wise disabled herself, endeavors to induce him to leave the sacred spot and give chase. If she 

 succeeds in decoying him from the locality, she darts into cover, and takes the earliest oppor- 

 tunity of returning quietly to her nest. Many birds pursue this curious contrivance, the com- 

 mon peewit or lapwing being a very familiar instance among ourselves. 



The eggs of this species are generally two in number, grayish-white in color, covered with 

 a number of streaks and dashes of brown. The young are odd little creatures, clothed with a 

 quantity of fine, brownish-gray down, and of a very indeterminate shape. The tail of this 

 bird is forked, and the long wings overpass the tail when they are closed. The bill is rather 

 small. The color of the Night-hawk is rather different from that, of the ordinary caprimul- 

 gidae, being notable for a greenish gloss upon the dark-red brown of the general plumage. A 

 number of yellowish spots occur upon the head, neck, and wing coverts, there is a well- 

 defined white band across the middle primaries, together with a white patch on the throat, 

 and an irregular stripe above the eyes. The total length of this bird is between nine and ten 

 inches. 



The WniP-POOK-WiLL also belongs to this group of birds, and is familiarly known by 

 the peculiar melancholy cry, which very much resembles the other odd names by which it 

 is called. 



The birds which belong to the genus Podargus have less of the peculiar Goat-sucker 

 aspect than any of their relatives, owing to the comparative paucity and scantiness of the 

 vibrissa?, the naked legs, the shortness of the tail, and the comparatively small gape of the 

 mouth. The wings of these birds are extremely long, and the powers of flight are very 

 considerable. 



The Nacunda Goat-sucker, one of the best examples of this genus, is a diurnal bird, 

 like the Virginian Goat-sucker, and excepting on very bright days, may be seen abroad even 

 at noon, chasing the insects at a great elevation, and wheeling and diving after them with the 

 activity of the swallow. It also descends close to the ground, and pursues the gnats and other 

 aquatic flies as they rise from the surface of the water, or attempt to settle for the purpose of 

 depositing their eggs. It is a handsome bird, possessing a brilliantly variegated plumage. 

 On the upper parts of the body, the feathers are generally of a grayish-brown variegated with 

 large spots of black-brown, edged with rusty-red, and mottled here and there with the same 

 tint. The under parts of the body are nearly white, the chin being tinted with cream-yellow, 

 and covered with a few grayish bars, and the breast white, striped with gray-brown horizontal 

 lines. The tail is beautifully mottled with yellow and brownish-black, and crossed by a 

 number of black bars, sprinkled with dots of brown. The Nacunda Goat-sucker is a native of 

 Brazil and Paraguay. 



The absurd designation Goat-sucker, Latinized to Caprimulgidce, should be discontinued, 

 and were it not for the stern law of priority in nomenclature, it would undoubtedly be very 

 quickly. Yet, there is no other name to distinguish the group. 



The Whip-poor-Will [Qaprimulgus wciferus) has a very appropriate trivial name, as it 

 exactly represents the curious note of the bird. 



The larger species, called Chuck-Will' s-Widow, is well represented in the original text 

 and figure. 



A small species is found in the Kocky Mountains called Poor-Will, as the note is similar 

 to that of the former, but is cut short. 



The Night-hawk (Chordeiles) is much like the preceding forms, but has very different 

 habits. It is well represented in the figure, where it is called Virginian Goat-sucker. The 

 former title is the more common. This bird builds its nest on the flat roofs of city houses. In 

 early May the ■peep-peep of the male bird is heard overhead, near where its mate is preparing 



