Mouth opening to beneath the centre of the eyes; bill much depressed,
generally feeble, the horny part being small; upper mandible with the
tip somewhat decurved. Nostrils elliptical, prominent, marginate. Eyes
extremely large. Aperture of ear elliptical, very large. Head of
extreme breadth, depressed; body very slender. Feet very small; tarsus
partially feathered, scaly; anterior toes webbed at the base; hind toe
small, and versatile, all scutellate above; claw of third toe
generally elongated, with the inner margin thin and pectinate. Plumage
very soft and blended. Wings very long, the second and third quills
longest. Tail long, of ten feathers. Œsophagus rather wide, without
crop; stomach very large, roundish, its muscular coat very thin, and
composed of a single series of strong fasciculi; epithelium very hard,
with longitudinal rugæ; intestine short and wide; cœca large,
oblong, narrow at the base; cloaca globular. Trachea of nearly uniform
width, without inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest on the ground, or in
hollow trees. Eggs generally two. Young covered with down. Very nearly
allied in some respects to the Owls.
GENUS I. CAPRIMULGUS, Linn. GOATSUCKER.
Bill feeble, gape extending to beneath the posterior angle of the eye.
Nostrils elliptical, prominent. Wings long, pointed, the second quill
longest; tail long. Claw of middle toe pectinate. Along the base of
the bill on each side, a series of feathers having very strong shafts,
terminating in an elastic filamentous point, and with the barbs or
lateral filaments extremely slender, distant, and not extended beyond
the middle of the shaft. Plumage very soft and blended. Wings long and
pointed, the second quill longest; tail long, rounded.
41. 1. Caprimulgus Carolinensis, Gmel. Carolina
Goatsucker.--Chuck-will's-widow.
Plate LII. Male and Female.
Bristles with lateral filaments; tail slightly rounded. Head and back
dark brown, minutely mottled with yellowish-red, and longitudinally
streaked with black; three bands of the latter colour, from the lower
mandible diverging along the head; a yellowish-white line over the
eye; wings barred with yellowish-red and brownish-black, and minutely
sprinkled with the latter colour, as are the wing-coverts, which,
together with the scapulars, are largely spotted with black, and
tinged with grey; tail similarly barred and dotted; terminal half of
the inner webs of the three outer feathers white, their extremities
light red; lower parts dull reddish-yellow, sprinkled with dusky; a
band of whitish feathers barred with black on the fore neck. Female
like the male, but without white on the tail.
_Male_, 12-3/4, 26. _Female_, 13-1/4, 30.
From Texas to North Carolina. Up the Mississippi to Natchez. Resident
in the Floridas.
Chuck-will's-widow, Caprimulgus Carolinensis, Wils. Amer. Orn.
v. vi. p. 95.
Caprimulgus Carolinensis, Bonap. Syn. p. 61.
Chuck-will's-widow, Caprimulgus Carolinensis, v. i. p. 612.
Chuck-will's-widow, Caprimulgus Carolinensis, Aud. Orn. Biog.
v. i. p. 273; v. v. p. 401.