T H É C R E S T E D G O A T - S U C K E R .
CA PRiM trx esffis c r i s t a t o s .
C. cinerev-fufcus, fubtus pallidas, remigibus caudaque fafciis pallidis numerofo,
vibriffis utrinqm ereBo-’criJiatis.
C orp us fu p r a punSlis m inutijjim is fu ba lb id is irro ra iu tn . ;
Cinereous-brown Goat-fucker,pale beneath; wiih'tft'e löfigfeathers of the
^ wings OT.Hr tail1 fprinkled with numeroti^rpale' fafGise, and the vibriflae
>’ baffles. ®n the upper ^mandible) ’handing up on each fide, in the
, V manner" of
The.body on,lh.£ upper part is fprinkled-with very fmall whitifli fpecks.
The birds-of this genus .are' remarkable forfthe exceffive
widenefs of the mouthj «though'.the beak:is very fmall;
in their manner of life, as well as general ftru&ure, they
are ;very- neatly allied -to the genus Hirundo, or fwallow;
and indeed may be regarded as a? kind of noöurnal fwallows.
They Feed on infers» particularly on,.beetles. The. name
CaprimuigusV or Goat-fucker,*, was given to. this genus from
an idea that prevailed amongft the more ancient naturalifts
of their fometimes fucking the. teats of goats and Iheep; a
circumftance- in itfelf fo; wildly improbable, that it would
fcarce deferve to be ferioufly mentioned, , were it not that fo
accurate a naturalift as the late celebrated Scopoli leems in
fome degree to have given credit to it.
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