CAPRIMULGID^. 83 



posed, forming a sort of crest : the longest of these 

 feathers are white, and arise from the sides of the 

 head, forming a band, which passes from the beak, 

 over the eyes, to the hind head : those on the chin are 

 shorter, but jagged, and are continued as a transverse 

 white band beneath the eyes, towards the nape, the 

 feathers gradually increasing in length and resem- 

 bling whiskers : the feathers on the top of the head 

 are also elongated and bronzed, as are those on the 

 back of the neck : on the region of the ears is a ches- 

 n ut spot : the back, the scapulars, the neck, the breast, 

 and the belly are green tinged with cupreous : the 

 wing-coverts, the quills, and those of the tail are 

 green-blue with a metallic gloss : the tip of the greater 

 wing-coverts, part of the vent and the under tail- 

 coverts are pure white : the tail is composed of ten 

 feathers, and is greatly forked. 



FAMILY III.— CAPRIMULGIDJE. 



Rostrum breve, basi latissimum, setis validis instructum, versus 



apicem utrinque compression; nares tubulares ; pedes tetra- 



dactyli ; digitus externns quadriarticulatus. 

 Beak short, very broad at the base, and furnished with strong 



bristles, compressed towards the tip; nostrils tubular; legs 



four-toed; the outer toe with four joints. 



The birds of this family usually fly by night, and 

 prey upon insects : their flight is particularly silent, 

 owing to the peculiar softness of their plumage : they 

 are closely allied to the Strigidae, although apparently 

 detached therefrom in the foregoing arrangement by 

 the intervention of the Meropidse and Hirundinidse, 

 the cause of which will be subsequently explained, as 



