151 



CHUCK -WILL'S-WIDOW. 



-f Caproitjlgus CAEOLiNENsrs, Gmel. 



PLATE XLI.— Male and Female. 



Our Goatsuckers, although possessed of great power of wing, are particu- 

 larly attached to certain districts and localities. The species now under 

 consideration is seldom observed beyond the limits of the Choctaw Nation 

 in the State of Mississippi, or the Carolinas, on the shores of the Atlantic, 

 and may with propriety be looked upon as the southern species of the United 

 States. Louisiana, Florida, the lower portions of Alabama and Georgia, are 

 the parts in which it most abounds; and there it makes its appearance early 

 in spring, coming over from Mexico, and probably still warmer climates. 



About the middle of March, the forests of Louisiana are heard to echo 

 with the well-known notes of this interesting bird. No sooner has the sun 

 disappeared, and the nocturnal insects emerged from their burrows, than the 

 sounds, "chuck-ivill , s-ividoio, ,> repeated with great clearness and power six 

 or seven times in as many seconds, strike the ear, bringing to the mind a 

 pleasure mingled with a certain degree of melancholy, which I have often 

 found very soothing. The sounds of the Goatsucker, at all events, forebode 

 a peaceful and calm night, and I have more than once thought, are conducive 

 to lull the listener to repose. 



The deep ravines, shady swamps, and extensive pine ridges, are all equally 

 resorted to by these birds; for in all such places they find ample means of 

 providing for their safety during the day, and of procuring food under night. 

 Their notes are seldom heard in cloudy weather, and never when it rains. 

 Their roosting places are principally the hollows of decayed trees, whether 

 standing or prostrate, which they seldom leave during the day, excepting 

 while incubation is in progress. In these hollows I have found them, lodged 

 in the company of several species of bats, the birds asleep on the mouldering 

 particles of the wood, the bats clinging to the sides of the cavities. When 

 surprised in such situations, instead of trying to effect their escape by flying 

 out, they retire backwards to the farthest corners, ruffle all the feathers of 

 their body, open their mouth to its full extent, and utter a hissing kind of 

 murmur, not unlike that of some snakes. When seized and brought to the 

 light of day, they open and close their eyes in rapid succession, as if it were 

 painful for them to encounter so bright a light. They snap their little bill 

 in the manner of Fly-catchers, and shuffle along as if extremely desirous of 



