578 
BIRD-LIFE. 
minute or so, appearing from time to time, uttering, in the 
pairing season, its sibillant note for a while, and then flying 
off again. On dark nights it rests from its labours from 
ten o’clock in the evening till near dawn, when it recom¬ 
mences hawking : when it is bright moonlight it pursues 
its sport unremittingly the whole night through, and 
while migrating it is ever on the move. Its food consists 
of different species of moths and beetles. With us it 
feeds principally on cockchaffers, dung- and fern-beetles, 
and gorges itself to such an extent that they can he felt 
from outside. Later on it hawks moths, both large and 
small, especially the Bombycidce , as also grasshoppers, 
crickets, gnats, midges, &c. Sometimes it will remain 
hovering in the air to make sure of a prey that may be 
on the ground or on a blade of grass, when suddenly closing 
its wings it skims along close to the ground, so as to seize it 
to advantage, alighting sometimes for a moment, the better 
to accomplish its purpose. It does not trouble in the least 
about the scratching and tenacity of life evinced by the 
beetles, hut swallows them alive, having nothing to fear 
on that score, thanks to its rapid and vigorous powers of 
digestion. The indigestible portions, such as wing-cases, 
legs, &c., it throws up in “ casts” of considerable size. 
The Goatsucker breeds but once a year, unless the 
first eggs happen to be taken. This bird is especially 
interesting to watch during the breeding season. Its 
courtship takes place by night, as may well be surmised, 
and consists principally in various tours de force in the 
way of flight, performed by the male for the gratification 
of the hen bird; besides these he has a peculiar ditty 
and call-notes, which are not heard at other seasons. 
The latter sounds like “hait,” pronounced very softly; 
this is emitted by both sexes : the first is confined to the 
