Clafs II. GOATSUCKER. 247 



fo much refembling that of a large fpinning wheel, 

 that the Weljb call this bird Aderyn y droetl, or the 

 wheel bird. This noife being made only in its flight, 

 we may fuppofe it to be caufed by the refinance of the 

 air againft the hollow of its vaftly extended mouth 

 and throat : for it flies with both open to take its 

 prey. When perched, its note is no more than a 

 fmall fqueak, repeated four or five times together. 

 It lays its eggs on the bare ground ; ufually two, or 

 at moft three : they are of a long fliape, of a whitifh 

 hue, prettily marbled with reddifh brown. 



The colors of thefe birds, though plain, have a 

 beautiful effect from the elegance of their difpofition, 

 confiding of black, white, brown, grey and ferru- 

 ginous, difperfed in form of bars, ftreaks and fpots. 



The male is diftinguiflied from the female by an 

 oval white fpot near the end of each of the three firft 

 quil-feathers : and another on the two outmoft fea- 

 thers of the tail. The color of the whole plumage is Defer, 

 alfo much more ferruginous. Their weight is only 

 two ounces and a half. Their length ten inches and 

 a half: their breadth twenty- two.: the irides are 

 hazel : the bill is fcarce one-third of an inch long : 

 the gape of the bill, when opened, is near two inches 

 from tip to tip : that of the mouth from corner to 

 corner one inch three-quarters : the corners of the 

 mouth thick fet with ftrong bridles: the infide of a 

 purple color : the tongue is very fmall, and placed 

 low in the mouth : the noftrils are a little tubular, 

 and prominent : the legs fmall, fcaly and feathered 

 below the knees. The middle toe connected to thole 

 ©n each fide by a fmall membrane reaching to the 



fiffi 



