Place and
Manners.
The male has an oval fpot of white on the inner webs of the
three fir ft quill feathers, and another at the ends of the two outer-
moft feathers of the tail: and the plumage in general more
bright than in the female.
This bird is the only one of the genus which is found in
Europe, throughout which it is every where met with, though no
where very numerous, nor ever known to unite into flocks. It
has been obferved likewife to inhabit both Afia and Africa *.. It
ufually arrives in England the latter end of May, and flays with
us in the more fouthern parts till about the end of September.
It lives in woods, for the moft part, and feeds on infedts, which
it collefts on the wing in the dulk of the evening and morning;
like the Owl, retiring into fome dark recefs during the day, as,
like that bird, it fees beft only during twilight; not but it
has been noticed in the day-time on the wing, but only when
difturbed, or in exceeding gloomy weather. It is found to be
a great deftroyer of the Cockchafer, or Dor Beetle. I remember
once to have found fix of the laft whole, befides four or five largebodied
moths, in the ftomach of one of thefe on difte&iori +. As
to its fucking the teats of Goats, which the antients luppofed it
to do, it is fcarce worth mentioning, except it be tip ridicule
even the idea o f the circumftance. The notes are of two kinds,
the one like the letter R, continually repeated, or, as fome liken
it, to the quick rotation of a fpinning-wbeel %; the other a
Iharp fqueak, frequently repeated. The firft it begins in the
* Alfo in India, til. Soever at met with one on the coaft A Coromandel.
+ Other authors have likewife mentioned circumftance» fomewhat fimHan
See Hiji. dee cif. vi.. p, 516. note/cj.
I Hence the name of Wheel-bird.
10 dulk
dulk ofthe evening, fitting on a dead branch, with the head
lowermoft, for what >1111 not known; the other fuppofed to be
a call of love, as it is obferved to utter it when in purfuit of
the female. The laft makes no neft, but lays her eggs on the
bare ground, or loofe crag, without feeming care. They are
ufually two in number, of a dulky white, blotched with blueifti
brown. She is faid.alfo to move the eggs to a more fecure place,
if at any time they are difturbed. It has been obferved that the
bird perches lengthwife * on the branch, not acrofs, as moft
birds are known to do.
Caprimulgus Etiropseus 0. Lin. Syjt. i. p. 346.
Tette-chevre de Virginie, Brif. orn. ii. p. 477. N° 3»
Whip-poor-will, Buf. oif. vi. p. 534.— Cate/b. Car. vol. iii. pi. 16.— Edw.,ii.
pi. 63.— Kalm Trav. ii. p. 151.— Aril. Zool.
Br. Muf. Lev. Miif.
f l ' H I S is lefs than our Ipecies, and only eight inches in
length. The bill to the gape nine lines and a half, and
befet with briftles: all the upper parts of the body are of a dull
brown, tranfverfely variegated and blended with rufous brown, with
here and there a mixture of alh-colour, and a little portion of grey
on the wings: above the eyes on each fide, and behind the neck,
a few orange fpots: under the eyes cinereous brown: on the
chin a white triangular fpot, mottled with orange at the under
part; the reft of the parts beneath reddifh white, crofted with
dulky ftreaks : quills dulky ; the five firft marked about the
middle with a fpot of white, occupying both webs, except on
6.
i? VIRGINIA G.
D escription,
HiJl. ties eif.
4 G 2 the