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.
THE EUROPEAN GOATSUCKER (Caprimulgus Europæus).
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.
