CHAPTER XVII 

 THE ORDER OF ODD FAMILIES 



MAGROCHIRES 



With certain exceptions, the different Orders of American birds are founded on reasonable grounds 

 and built up of homogeneous materials. As a rule, a few moments' examination of a bird enables 

 one to name the Order to which it belongs. There is no difficulty about the birds of prey, swimmers, 

 fishers, waders or woodpeckers. 



Unfortunately, however, Nature has turned out of her workshop so many odd forms that it has 

 been found necessary to have a certain number of Orders for them. In mammals we have seen 

 that the Order Ungulata is of this character. In birds, there are two such Orders. One is that 

 which contains the cuckoos, road-runners and kingfishers, and the other is that which forms the 

 subject of this chapter. 



The Order Macroehires means literally "odd ones," and its members do not belie the name. On 

 the strength of certain resemblances in anatomical structure, observable only after the birds are dead 

 and dissected, our humming-birds, swifts and goatsuckers (i.e., birds like the whippoorwill and night- 

 hawk) are grouped together in this Order, in three Families, as follows: 



ORDER 

 MACROCHIRES. 



FAMILIES. 



goatsuckehs, . cap-ri-muu gi-dae, 



Swifts, . . . mi-cro-pod'i-dae, . 



HuMMING-BlRDS, TRO-CHIU I-DAE, . . 



EXAMPLES. 



Nighthawk, Whippoorwill. 

 Chimney-Swift. 

 Ruby-Throated Humming-Bird. 



THE GOATSUCKER FAMILY. 



Caprimulgidae. 



The Nighthawk^ is far from being a true 

 hawk. It belongs to a Family of birds which 

 have soft, owl-like plumage, and enormous 

 mouths, fringed above with a row of stiff bristles, 

 for use in capturing insects on the wing. Many 

 years ago, when people believed many things 

 that were not true, some believed that these big- 

 mouthed birds sucked goats; hence the absurd 

 name applied to the Family. 



Whenever, during the hour just before sun- 

 set, you see a good-sized bird with dark plumage, 

 long, sharp-pointed wings, and a big white spot 

 on the under surface of each wing, — wheeling, 

 soaring, dropping and circling through the air, — 

 you may know that it is a Nighthawk, catching 

 insects. Its flight is graceful and free, and when 



^ Chor-dei'les 

 inches. 



virginianus. Length, about 9.50 



THE NIGHTH.\WK. 



207 



on the aerial war-path it is a very industrious 

 bird. Some people compare this bird on the 

 wing with bats; but I see no resemblance save 

 the bare fact of semi-nocturnal flight. 



