THE GAPERS. 



127 



inconceivably fleet and agile ; it is not uncommon to see one of them, after describing a series of 

 the most elegant gyrations, come rushing down with such headlong velocity towards its intended 

 partner, that it seems to render its death inevitable ; but when within a few yards of the earth the 

 bird dexterously spreads out its wings and tail, and again rises into the air, in order to recom- 

 mence its sportive manoeuvres. Audubon describes the spectacle of several males thus offering 

 and exhibiting their admiration as being most amusing, and tells us that no sooner has the female 

 made her choice, than the happy mate elect at once begins to harry and drive his rivals from 

 the field. 



The food of the Night Falcons consists principally of various kinds of small insects ; they 

 consume flies in enormous quantities, seeking their prey during the day, and sleeping at night upon 

 trees or houses, from the tops of which their loud cries may be heard from time to time during the 

 night. The breeding season commences at the end of May ; the two eggs that form their brood have 

 a grey shell, spotted with greenish brown or violet-grey (see Fig. 2, Coloured Plate IV.), and are 

 deposited without any previous preparation upon the ground. The nestlings are at first covered 

 with dark brown down, and are tended with great affection by their parents ; the female especially 

 exhibits unusual boldness and cunning in protecting or concealing her family from danger. When 

 the young are strong enough to perch it is not uncommon for them to sit motionless beside the 

 father and mother for hours, remaining so perfectly quiet and silent as to render it very difficult to 

 discover their place of concealment. Large numbers of these useful birds are shot out of mere 

 mischief. According to Audubon their flesh is excellent during the autumn, at which season they 

 become well-flavoured and fat. 



THE COMMON GOATSUCKER. 

 The European Night Jar or Common Goatsucker (Caprimulgus Europeans) represents a 

 group of birds whose pursuit of food is carried on exclusively by night. All the various species of 

 nocturnal Goatsuckers have slender bodies, short necks, and broad wings, not very sharply pointed 

 at the extremity, as the second quill is slightly longer than the first. The tail is almost straight at 

 its tip; the beak is short and broad, narrow at its base, and curves downwards from beneath 

 the nostrils. The centre toe of the small delicate foot is considerably longer than the rest, and is 

 connected with that on each side by a fold of skin extending as far as the first joint ; the small inner 

 toe is entirely detached from the rest ; the tarsus is partially covered with small feathers, and upon its 

 lower portion is defended by horny plates ; the claw upon the middle toe is serrated. The plumage, 

 which is composed of large feathers, is fleecy ; the upper parts of the body are dark grey, variously 

 marked with brownish black and reddish yellow ; the under side is light grey, streaked and spotted 

 with black and dark brown ; the brow and edges of the jaws are indicated by whitish lines ; the three 

 first quills in the wing of the male are decorated with a white, in the female with a yellow spot The 

 centre tail-feathers are grey, striped with black ; the rest are paler, and rather spotted than streaked 

 with black : they terminate in a pointed white patch. The markings in the plumage of the female are 

 less distinct than in that of her mate, and the exterior tail-feathers are spotted and tipped with 

 reddish yellow. The length of this species is about ten, and its breadth twen ty-one inches; the wing 

 measures seven and a quarter, and the tail between four and five inches. The European Night Jar 

 inhabits some parts of Asia and the whole of our continent, if we except its extreme north and the 

 southern provinces of Spain ; in the latter country it is replaced by a very similar bird, the Red- 

 breasted Goatsucker (Capriwulgus ruficollis). It is at present undecided whether the Jotaka 

 (Caprimulgiis jotacd), met with in Japan, is identical with the European species. (The egg of tire 

 European Goatsucker is represented at Fig. 41, Coloured Plate XVI.) 



