Part 19

Steeples, lofty edifices, and in some countries rocks, are the situations preferred by this species when about to build. The nest is constructed of hay, dry leaves, blades of grass, or even bits of rag, cemented into a solid mass by the saliva from the builder's beak. The two or at most three eggs that constitute a brood are white, elongate, and of the same breadth at both ends. The female begins to lay at the end of May; she alone performs the work of incubation, and is fed by her mate if the weather be fine; should it, however, be wet, she is compelled to leave her little family, and go herself in pursuit of insects, as the male can only provide for his own requirements. The young grow very slowly and remain for many weeks under parental care, indeed, they are rarely fully fledged until the end of August. It is by no means uncommon for these birds to avoid all the trouble attendant on nidification, by setting upon and worrying a Starling or Sparrow until they have compelled it to resign its little domicile; under these circumstances, if the eggs of the late occupier have been already laid, the marauder simply covers them with a layer of some elastic material, and on this the female deposits her brood. These Swifts subsist almost entirely on insects, and usually require a large supply of food; they can, however, occasionally fast for a lengthened period.

THE ALPINE SWIFT.

The ALPINE SWIFT (_Cypselus Melba_) is considerably larger and more powerful than the bird last described, its length being about eight, and its breadth from nineteen to twenty inches; the wing measures eight and the tail three inches. The plumage of this species is dusky greyish brown above, and white upon the throat and belly; the rings around the eyes are deep brown, and the feet and beak black. The young are recognisable by the light edge upon their feathers.

All the mountains of Southern Europe, and a large part of Asia, afford a home to the Alpine Swift; it is, however, rarely met with in the central or northern parts of the European continent. According to Jerdon, it is by no means uncommon in India, around the Ghauts, and Neilgherries, and on the Malabar coast; it is also sometimes seen near Madras; and all parts of Africa are visited by these birds during the course of their migrations. Although the favourite resorts of this species are in the mountains in Switzerland, it constantly frequents the steeples of the churches, appearing in that country about the end of March, and only leaving for warmer regions in October. We have been informed by the monks upon Montserrat that the Alpine Swift has been seen from time to time near their cloisters throughout the entire winter. In most particulars of its life and habits this bird closely resembles the Steeple Swift, but it is capable of mounting to even a still greater height in the air. Its voice resembles that of the Kestrel. Like its congeners it is eminently social, and generally flies about in considerable flocks; we have seen thousands at a time swarming around the summit of Montserrat, and Jerdon tells us that they congregate in similar multitudes on the heights of some Indian mountains. Their nests are built in holes of rocks, steeples, or similar situations; they are formed externally of twigs, upon which are laid leaves, straw, rags, paper cuttings, or other materials of like description, the whole being consolidated by means of the glutinous spittle to which we have so frequently alluded. The three elongated white eggs that form the brood are laid at the end of May; the nestlings are hatched by the middle of June, and are fully fledged by the last week in July.

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The NIGHT JARS or GOATSUCKERS (_Caprimulgi_) constitute a family of very remarkable birds, in some respects resembling the Swallows and Swifts, but differing from them in many important particulars. Some species fully equal the Raven in size, whilst others, on the contrary, are not larger than a Lark; in all, the body is elongate, the neck short, the head large, broad, and flat, the eye prominent. The beak is broad, short, and tapers towards its tip, which is much compressed; the jaws are unusually large, and the gape wide; the legs are weak, the tarsi short and covered with horny plates, the upper part being occasionally feathered, or quite bare. The toes vary considerably in different species, but are usually weak and short, the centre one only being well developed; this middle toe is sometimes furnished with a large serrated claw. The wings are long and pointed, but not to such a degree as those of the Swallow, the second and third quills, instead of the first, generally exceeding the rest in length. The tail is formed of ten feathers, and differs considerably as to its shape; the plumage, like that of the Owl, is soft, and composed of large feathers; it is usually dark in colour, but much variegated and very delicately marked. The base of the beak is covered with a very remarkable growth of stiff bristles, and the eyes are surrounded with short but thick lashes. In some species the males have long and peculiarly formed feathers in the region of the tail and on the wings.

The Night Jars, or Fern Owls, as they are sometimes called, are found throughout all divisions of our globe, with the exception of its most northern latitudes; two species are met with in Europe, and others occur in America, Africa, and Asia. Though thus spread over the face of the earth, the actual habitat of this group is somewhat limited; certain amongst them occupy mountains, others frequent desert tracts or fruitful plains, but all keep to a certain extent within the limits of their appointed domain, their plumage being usually coloured so as to harmonise and blend with the tints of the rocks, sand, or tree trunks, among which they pass the greatest portion of their lives. Such of these birds as dwell in tropical forests do not migrate; and the greater number skim over the surrounding country at certain seasons; but all those inhabiting northern latitudes withdraw in the autumn towards the south. It is only during these migratory excursions--which often extend as far as the interior of Africa--that the Night Jars exhibit anything like a social disposition; in their native haunts each pair keeps entirely apart from others, and never allows the slightest intrusion within the precincts of the locality selected for its abode. It may occasionally happen that some tempting neighbourhood will induce several couples to settle comparatively near together, but under any circumstances the same utter want of intercourse among them is observable. Towards man they by no means exhibit this want of sociability, and in most parts of the earth more or less frequent the immediate vicinity of his dwellings. Almost all these birds seek for insects--upon which they principally subsist--during the night, and retire to sleep within their favourite recesses as soon as morning dawns; but some American species are an exception to this rule, as they fly about in quest of prey not only in the daylight, but even when exposed to the full glare of the sun. Upon the ground they may be said to recline, rather than to perch or sit, and their gait, when attempting to take a few steps over its surface, is remarkably clumsy; their powers of flight, however, make ample amends for this deficiency, combining the facility and swiftness with which we are familiar in the movements of the Falcon and the Swallow.

The sight of the Night Jars is very keen, their hearing tolerably well developed, and their temperament by no means so sluggish as those who only see them drowsily perched among the branches during the day are usually inclined to suppose. They make no nest, and are content to deposit their eggs upon the naked ground, without even such scant preparation as the hollowing out of a slight cavity in which they might be more securely placed. Audubon tells us that it is not uncommon for the female, when disturbed, to conceal an egg in her mouth, and hurry with it to a spot where she can brood upon it unobserved. The young (usually not more than one or two in number) are tended and provided for with great care. Despite the important services rendered by this family, its members are in most countries regarded with unaccountable disfavour. One idea prevalent among the peasantry in some parts of Europe is so absurd that we cannot refrain from mentioning it; we allude to the idea that some species of Night Jars employ their huge jaws in relieving the goats of their milk--a superstition from whence is derived their usual name of Goatsuckers, an appellation conferred upon them from the most remote antiquity.

THE NACUNDA.

The NACUNDA (_Podager nacunda_) has obtained its name from the unusual size of its mouth, and may be regarded as the type of a South American group, distinguished by their powerful body, very broad head, strong beak, and thick plumage; their beak curves slightly downwards at its tip, and the mouth is surrounded by a growth of very stiff, short bristles; the nostrils are situated immediately above the upper mandibles. The wings, in which the second and third quills exceed the rest in length, are long and pointed; the short tail is composed of broad feathers and slightly rounded at its tip. The legs are powerful, the tarsi long and bare, the toes fleshy, and the nail of the middle toe serrated. The plumage of the Nacunda on the upper part of the body is blackish brown, marked with fine reddish yellow lines; the head is darker than the middle of the back, and the region of the shoulder indicated by large blackish brown spots. The tail-feathers exhibit six or eight dark lines, those of the male being edged with white. The throat, cheek-stripes, and region of the ear are reddish yellow, and slightly spotted; the belly, legs, lower tail-covers, and a line which passes from ear to ear around the throat are of a pure white; the breast is marked with undulating lines. The very large eyes are light brown; the beak greyish brown, tipped with black; the feet flesh-red, shaded with brownish grey. According to the Prince von Wied, this species is about ten inches long and twenty-seven broad; the wing measures eight inches and a quarter, and the tail two inches and two-thirds. These birds are principally found upon the vast savannahs of South America, where they usually frequent such parts as are covered with brushwood; they are also constantly seen around the Indian villages, and are called Chiangos by the natives. Unlike most of their congeners, they are very social and active, carrying on the pursuit of the insects upon which they subsist in broad daylight. The Prince von Wied assures us that he only once saw any great number of them together, and that was upon a large tract of land in the province of Bahia; they were flying fearlessly around the horses and cattle, apparently enjoying the intense heat of the sun, to which they were exposed. Schomburghk describes their flight as equalling that of the Falcon in swiftness, and the movements of their wings as resembling those of the Swallow. If disturbed, they endeavour to conceal themselves from observation among the low grass, and exhibit so much dexterity in evading pursuit, as to have given rise, among the Indians, to the strange fancy that the Nacundas possess two pairs of eyes. As night approaches, their melancholy cry is constantly to be heard, as they sweep in large parties around the trees, or over the fields, during their noisy and incessant pursuit of food. Burmeister found a Nacunda's egg in some long grass under a bush; it was almost cylindrical in form, the shell yellowish white, thickly marked with three shades of brown. Azara states that this species lays two eggs.

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The TWILIGHT NIGHT JARS (_Chordeiles_) are recognisable by their slender body, short neck, and large head. Their wings, in which the second quill exceeds the rest in length, are long and pointed. The tail is short, formed of broad, powerful feathers, and more or less forked at its extremity; the legs are smooth, and the toes short; the centre toe being armed with a very decidedly hooked and serrated claw. Their plumage is thick, composed of small feathers, and is brighter in hue and more distinctly marked than that of most of their congeners.

THE NIGHT FALCON.

The NIGHT FALCON (_Chordeiles Virginianus_), a well-known member of this group, is an inhabitant of North and South America. Its length is about eight and a half, and its breadth from twenty to twenty-one inches; the wing measures seven inches and two-thirds. The upper part of the plumage is brownish black, spotted with white and pale brownish red. The secondary quills are dotted with brownish white, and the first five primaries have a broad stripe of white across their centre. The tail is striped with brown and grey, its four exterior feathers being tipped with white; the under side of the body is greyish white, marked with undulating brown lines; the throat is surrounded by a broad white line. The female resembles her mate, but the brown parts are darker, and the whitish spots redder, than in the plumage of the male. Her tail has no white spots at its extremity.

"The Night Falcons," says Audubon, "make their appearance in Louisiana about the first of April, during their migrations eastward, but never breed either in that State or in Mississippi. So rapid is their transit through these parts of the country, that the flocks have entirely disappeared within a few days of their arrival, whilst in the Southern States, on the contrary, they are often to be met with from the fifteenth of August till October. These wandering parties generally fly over the towns and villages, and settle from time to time upon the trees or houses, meanwhile uttering a harsh, shrill note, that cannot fail to attract the attention of all who hear it. We have seen them in Maine about June, and in the Central States somewhat earlier. These birds penetrate northwards as far as New Brunswick, but are rarely or never met with in Labrador or Newfoundland." The flight of the Night Falcons is light, animated, and capable of being long sustained, it is accompanied by loud, shrill cries, as the birds alternately soar above the summits of lofty mountains, or, rapidly sinking, continue their course close to the surface of the water. During such times as they are trying to attract the attention of the female part of the community, their evolutions become almost inconceivably fleet and agile; it is not uncommon to see one of them, after describing a series of the most elegant gyrations, come rushing down with such headlong velocity towards its intended partner, that it seems to render its death inevitable; but when within a few yards of the earth the bird dexterously spreads out its wings and tail, and again rises into the air, in order to recommence its sportive manœuvres. Audubon describes the spectacle of several males thus offering and exhibiting their admiration as being most amusing, and tells us that no sooner has the female made her choice, than the happy mate elect at once begins to harry and drive his rivals from the field.

The food of the Night Falcons consists principally of various kinds of small insects; they consume flies in enormous quantities, seeking their prey during the day, and sleeping at night upon trees or houses, from the tops of which their loud cries may be heard from time to time during the night. The breeding season commences at the end of May; the two eggs that form their brood have a grey shell, spotted with greenish brown or violet-grey (see Fig. 2, Coloured Plate IV.), and are deposited without any previous preparation upon the ground. The nestlings are at first covered with dark brown down, and are tended with great affection by their parents; the female especially exhibits unusual boldness and cunning in protecting or concealing her family from danger. When the young are strong enough to perch it is not uncommon for them to sit motionless beside the father and mother for hours, remaining so perfectly quiet and silent as to render it very difficult to discover their place of concealment. Large numbers of these useful birds are shot out of mere mischief. According to Audubon their flesh is excellent during the autumn, at which season they become well-flavoured and fat.

THE COMMON GOATSUCKER.

The EUROPEAN NIGHT JAR or COMMON GOATSUCKER (_Caprimulgus Europæus_) represents a group of birds whose pursuit of food is carried on _exclusively_ by night. All the various species of nocturnal Goatsuckers have slender bodies, short necks, and broad wings, not very sharply pointed at the extremity, as the second quill is slightly longer than the first. The tail is almost straight at its tip; the beak is short and broad, narrow at its base, and curves downwards from beneath the nostrils. The centre toe of the small delicate foot is considerably longer than the rest, and is connected with that on each side by a fold of skin extending as far as the first joint; the small inner toe is entirely detached from the rest; the tarsus is partially covered with small feathers, and upon its lower portion is defended by horny plates; the claw upon the middle toe is serrated. The plumage, which is composed of large feathers, is fleecy; the upper parts of the body are dark grey, variously marked with brownish black and reddish yellow; the under side is light grey, streaked and spotted with black and dark brown; the brow and edges of the jaws are indicated by whitish lines; the three first quills in the wing of the male are decorated with a white, in the female with a yellow spot. The centre tail-feathers are grey, striped with black; the rest are paler, and rather _spotted_ than streaked with black: they terminate in a pointed white patch. The markings in the plumage of the female are less distinct than in that of her mate, and the exterior tail-feathers are spotted and tipped with reddish yellow. The length of this species is about ten, and its breadth twenty-one inches; the wing measures seven and a quarter, and the tail between four and five inches. The European Night Jar inhabits some parts of Asia and the whole of our continent, if we except its extreme north and the southern provinces of Spain; in the latter country it is replaced by a very similar bird, the Red-breasted Goatsucker (_Caprimulgus ruficollis_). It is at present undecided whether the JOTAKA (_Caprimulgus jotaca_), met with in Japan, is identical with the European species. (The egg of the European Goatsucker is represented at Fig. 41, Coloured Plate XVI.)

THE RESPLENDENT GOATSUCKER.

The RESPLENDENT GOATSUCKER (_Caprimulgus eximius_) is a most beautiful bird, inhabiting Northern Africa, remarkable for the brilliancy of its plumage, which is almost entirely of a bright golden hue, marked upon the head, breast, and back with oval _spots_, and upon the wings and tail with _streaks_ of a somewhat deeper shade; the throat, vent, a spot upon the pinions, and the tips of the exterior tail-feathers are white. Rüppell, who first discovered these birds in Bahiuda, tells us that they frequent vast steppes, and that their gay plumage blends most deceptively with the yellow stubble and light sand which abounds in their favourite haunts. We ourselves have often met with them in Cordofania.

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The BRISTLED NIGHT JARS (_Antrostomus_), indigenous to America, are recognisable by their long, flat beak, which is hooked at its tip, by their prominent tube-like nostrils, and the ten stiff strong bristles, of about an inch in length, that grow at the base of the upper mandible, and can be lowered or raised at pleasure. The second or third quill exceeds the rest in length; the tail is long, but comparatively narrow, more rounded at its tip, and the plumage is also thicker, and composed of smaller feathers than that of such of their congeners as we have already alluded to.

THE WHIP-POOR-WILL.

The WHIP-POOR-WILL (_Antrostomus vociferus_), so called from its peculiar cry, is about nine inches and one-third long, and seventeen and a half broad; the wing measures seven and a half, and the tail five inches. The upper parts of the body are dark brownish grey, spotted with brownish black; the region of the cheeks is brownish red, the wing-covers and quills are dark brown, spotted in lines with a paler tint, the latter tipped with a mixture of both shades; the four centre tail-feathers resemble the back in colour and markings, whilst those at the exterior are white, slightly spotted on the upper portion, and dark brown towards the end. The upper parts of the throat and breast are dark brown, with blackish-brown markings; the rest of the under side is of a paler hue. A yellowish white line passes across the front of the throat. North America is the actual habitat of this species, which is, however, frequently seen in Central America and the West Indies during the course of its migrations.

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The AFRICAN NIGHT JARS (_Scotornis_) constitute a group of birds distinguished from their congeners by their remarkably long graduated tail, which far exceeds the body in length; the third quill of the wing is longer than the rest, thereby rendering it less pointed than that of most Goatsuckers; the beak is very small and delicate, and the bristles at its base comparatively long; the inner toes are longer than those on the exterior. The plumage is somewhat difficult to describe; in _Scotornis climacurus_ the body is principally of a pale reddish brown, with dark markings; the chin, cheek-stripes, and extremities of the smaller wing-covers are white, the quills black, spotted with grey on the lower half; the first six are striped with white in the middle; the rest are spotted with red and black, and tipped with white. The centre tail-feathers are marked with undulating lines of different shades; those at the exterior are white upon the outer web, and the two next in order terminate in a white spot; the lower side is a mixture of brown and grey, arranged in wave-like curves. The male is about fifteen inches long and twenty broad; the wing measures five inches and a half and the tail full nine and a half. The body of the female is considerably shorter than that of her mate. All the sparely-covered, sandy plains of Central Africa afford a home to the members of this group. According to our own observations they are rarely found beyond sixteen degrees north latitude; other authorities affirm that they occasionally wander as far as Europe, and have been met with in Provence, but we are inclined to question the accuracy of this statement.

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The LYRE-TAILED NIGHT JARS (_Hydropsalis_), a group of very remarkable birds inhabiting South America, are recognisable by their long powerful wings, in which the first quill is much bent; their slender, but comparatively strong beak; their delicate feet, partially covered with feathers, and protected with horny plates upon its lower half; and their remarkably forked tail, which in the male bird is occasionally of great length.

THE LYRE-TAILED NIGHT JAR.