THE GOATSUCKER, 
89 
At the latter end of September the swallows leave ns ; and 
jor a few days previous to their departure, assemble, in vast 
nocks, on house-tops, as if deliberating on the fatiguing 
journey that lies before them. This is no slight undertaking, 
as their flight is directed to Congo, Senegal, and along the 
whole Morocco shore. There are some, however, left be- 
hind in this general expedition, that do not depart till eight or 
,en days after the rest. These are chiefly the latter weakly 
hroods, which are not yet in a condition to set out. 
i Those that migrate are first observed to arrive in Africa 
a bout the beginning of October. They are thought to have 
performed their fatiguing journey in the space of seven days, 
they are sometimes seen, when interrupted by contrary 
Wl nds, wavering in their course far off’ at sea, apd lighting 
upon whatever ships they find in their passage. They then 
* e etn spent with famine and fatigue, yet still they boldly ven- 
Ure > when refreshed by a few hours rest, to renew their flight 
a »d continue the course which they had been steering before. 
The Goatsuckeu is nearly allied to the swallow, both in 
*°rm and manners. Like the swallow, it is remarkable for the 
Wl deness of its gape; like it, it feeds upon insects; like it, 
collects its food upon the wing; indeed by some authors it 
has been termed the nocturnal swallow, for it preys entirely in 
the night, or rather in the dusk of the evening, when the 
other swallows are retired to rest. 
There is only one species known in Europe, and this is 
considerably larger than the swallow, being 10| inches in 
cogth, and in weight two ounces and an half. The ground 
. ^e plumage is algiost black, but it is beautifully diversified, 
with ash-colour and white in different parts ; and it has, like 
a 'l the kind, a number of bristles about the bill. It is a great 
destroyer of cock-chaffers and beetles; and its note resembles 
of a spinning-wheel. From its nocturnal habits it 
called the night-hawk, and the chum-owl, It visits 
about May, and returns in August. There appears 
other ground for the ridiculous story of sucking the 
goats, hut the width of its mouth, which is to be accounted 
_| n much more rational principles. It makes no nest, but 
its eggs on the bare ground, or some loose crag, without 
U11 -)L seerr dng care whatever. 
(/here are about fifteen foreign species of this bird, one 
which is called the Grand Goatsucker, and is the size of 
buzzard : it inhabits Cayenne. 
*here area few foreign birds belonging to this order, which 
‘o not reducible to any of the preceding genera, and which, 
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