10 
CAPRIMULCUS AMEKICANUS. 
throwing the head, forward, and uttering a kind of 
guttural whizzing sound, striking also violently witi) 
their wings, which seem to be their only offensive 
weapons ; for they never attempt to strike with the 
bill or claws. 
About the middle of August, they begin to move 
off towards the south ; at w Inch season they may he 
seen almost every evening, from live oh lock until after 
sunset, passing along the Schuylkill and the adjacent 
shores, in widely scattering multitudes, all steeriiift 
tow'ards the south. I have counted several huudreda 
within siglit at the same time, dispersed through the 
air, and darting after insects as they advanced. These 
occasional processions continue for two or three 
weeks; none are seen travelling in the opposite direC' 
tion. Sometimes they are accompanied by at least 
twice as many barn swallow's, some chimney swallows 
and purple martins. They are also most numerous 
immediately preceding a northeast storm. At this 
time also they abound in the extensive meadows oB 
the Schu 3 'lkill .and Delaware, where I have counted 
fifteen skimming' over a single field in an evening. Oa 
shooting some of these, ou the 14th of August, theii' 
stomachs were almost exclusively filled with crickets. 
From one of them I took nearly a common suuff-hoJ 
full of these insects, all seemingly fresh swallo\ved. 
By the middle or 20th of Septemher, very few oi 
these birds are to be seen in Pennsylvania; how fat 
south they go, or at what particular time they pass the 
southern boundaries of the United States, I am uuabP 
to s.ay. None of them winter in Georgia. 
The ridiculous name goatsucker, — which was first 
bestowed on the Euro))ean species, from a foolish notioB 
tliat it sucked the teats of the goats, bec.ause, probably> 
it inhabited the solitary heights where they fed, whicb 
nickname has been since ap])lied to the whole genus, — -I 
have thought proper to omit. There is somethinj 
worse than absurd in continuing to brand a whoP 
fiimily of birds with a knavish imme, after they aA' 
universally known to be innocent of the charge. It i* 
