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Show 290 AVES. and their toes united at base by a short membrane. The thumb itseir is thus united to the internal toe, and can direct itself forwards; the middle nail is often dentated on its inner edge, and the external toe has but four phalanges, a conformation very rare among birds. Goatsuckers live solitarily, and never venture abroad, except at twi· light, and in the night during fine weather. They hunt Phalen~ and other noctumal insects, and lay a small number of ttgs on the bare ground, without taking any pains in the construction of a nest. The rushing of the air into their immense mouth, while on the wing, pro. duces a very peculiar humming sound. There is but one species in Europe, Capr. europreus, L.; Enl. 193. (European Goatsucker.) Sizeof a Thrush; of an undulated greyish-brown, mottled with blackish brown; a whitish band reaching from the beak to the neck. It builds in the furze or long grass, and lays only two eggs. America produces several of these birds with a round or square tail, one of which is as large as an Owl, Caprim.grandis, Enl. 325; and another, C. vociferus, Wils. V, xli, celebrated on account of its loud and peculiar cries in the spring of the year.( I) One of them is found in New Holland. There are some also in Africa,(2) part of which have a pointed tail,(3) and others a forked one, an additional indication of the affinity between this genus and that of the Swallows.(4) There is even one in America, the forks of whose tail are longer than the body;( 5) the middle nail of these fork-tailed species is not dentated. One species, likewise from Africa, but with a round tail, is very remarkable for a feather twice the length of the body, which arises from near the carpus of each wing, and is barbed onlynear the end: the Caprim.long~ennis,Shaw, Nat. Miscell., 265. (1) Add, Oapr. virginianus, Edw., 63, or americanus, Wils. v. xJ, 1, 2, which appears to me at any rate very nearly allied to the guyanensia, Enl. 733; it bu been confounded with the vociferua ;-Oapr. carolinensia, Catesb., 8, Wils. V,liv, 2, a species very closely allied to that of Europe ;-0. jamaicensis, Lnth., Syn. D, pl. lvii ;-C. rufus, Enl. 735 ;-0. aemitorquatua, Enl. 734 ;-0. cayenemil, EnL 760 ;-0. acutus, Enl. 752 ;-0. Nattereri, Col. 107 ;-0. diurnua, Pr. Max. CoL 182 ;-0. mystacalis, Tern. (2) 0. 'injuacatua, Uuppel., pl. vi ;-0. isabellinus, T. Col. 379 ;-0. eximiu~ Ruppel. Col. 398. (3) 0. climacurua, Vieill. Galer. 1~2. (4) Oapr. furcatua, Cuv. Vaill. Afr. 47 ;-0. pectoralis, Id. lb. 94. (5) 0. paalurus, Tern. Col. 117, 151. PASSERINJE. 291 PonARGus, Cuv. The form, co.Iour, and habits of the Goatsuckers; but the beak is stouter, and there are neither membranes between the toes nor · the m•td dle nat• t d entated.(l) t IS P. Cu.v~eri; P. cend~e; Vieill. Galer. 123. Variegated with ash, whitish and blackish colours; size of a Rook. P. javanensis, Horsf. J av. Red, varied with brown; a white band along the scapulars. P. cornutus, T., Col. 159. Red, varied with white; large tufts of feathers at the ears. FAMILY III. CONIROSTRES. The Conirostres comprehend genera with a strong beak m~re or I~ss conical, and unemarginate ; the stronger and thicker their beak, the more exclusively is grain their food. The first genus to be distinguished is, ALAUDA, Lin. The Larks are known by the nail of their thumb, which is straight s~rong, and much longer than the others.(2) They are granivorou; birds, and pulverators. They build on the ground, and generally keep there. !he beak of the greater number is straight, moderately stout and po10ted. 1 .Ill. arvensis; .lllouette ~ea champs, Enl. 368, I; Naum. 100, · (The Sky Lark.) Umversaily, known by its perpendicular mo~e of soaring, accompanied by its varied and powerful song . . It. Is brown above; whitish underneath; spotted throughout, W~th a. deeper shade of brown; the two external quills of the ta1l White outside. C .!ll. cristata; Le Cochevis, Enl. 503, I; Naum. 99, 1. (The t rested Lark.) Nearly the same size and plumage; but it has he power of erecting the feathers on the head into a tuft; not ~!: ;h.Vigor• considers this subgenus as connecting Oaprimulgus with U/u/4. ~ th E ~ c~rac~er is more or less marked in BunYTEs, Au unA, AlfTuvs, and e mutrtza mvalis. |