THE NIGHTJAR, OR FERN OWL. 575 
Dor-hawk. The Spaniards call this bird the “ Shepherd’s 
deceiver,” “ Father of the wind,” and “ Big-mouth,” 
while other nations accord it similar titles. From this it 
may be gathered that we have to do with a curious and 
singular creature, which indeed it is, both as regards 
shape and make, and especially habits and mode of 
life. The Goatsucker is a Swallow among the nocturnal 
birds, and similarly constructed to its diurnal cousin. 
The body is furnished with plumage resembling in 
texture that of the Owls; the colouring of the same 
is dusky, and of innumerable different shades, the 
marking of which is so delicate as only to be appreciated 
when closely examined. At a distance the bird bears a 
wonderful resemblance to a piece of dead bark, spotted 
and blotched with greenish gray. The broad, flat head 
is furnished with a tiny beak, though the gape is 
enormous; the latter is bordered with hairs or bristles. 
The feet are small and weak, indeed almost fragile. The 
wings and tail, however, are remarkably large, and often 
singularly developed. 
Europe possesses only two species of Goatsucker, one 
of which ranges from Central Spain to Norway, and is 
also found in Siberia, as well as during migration all over 
Northern Africa. The second species appears to be 
limited to the south of Spain. Our kind is a woodland 
bird, or is, at least, found where trees abound: it appears 
to prefer pine forests to others, but is fastidious in its 
choice of a locality, inasmuch as it must be an open one, 
and abound in glades or clearings, for this bird to take 
up its abode there. Here it passes the whole summer, 
leading a still, quiet life, chequered, it is true, by an 
occasional flight with a neighbour. Except when it is on 
the wing one rarely happens to discover the Goatsucker, 
