The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-17
FABLES ABOUT THE coArsuoKeH
some superstitions That Obtain Regard
ing . Harmless Bird.

From Nature Notes.
on account of its nocturnal habits
and extraordinary appearance tne
g~oatsucker has become an object OF
suspicion, il not terror. to many who
surround II with mystery n fable.
In reality ii is the most harmless OF
birds, and instead of causing trouble
is of much use in helping to rid the
country of many insect pests. II is
our one representative of a large fam
lily widely distributed over the world.
and is a most interesting bird. differ
ing in form, cry and habits from all
others. From May to September or
October these birds may be found scat
tered all over the British Islands, the
principal colors of the plumage being
shades of brown and gray, the silent
flight and general appearance when on
the wing causing them to resemble an
owl more than any other bird.
In the daytime they crouch on the
ground among the bracken, heather
and furze bushes of u commons. or
seek the shelter of some thick tree,
where, sitting m~otionless, and parallel
with the branch. their dull color rem
ders them almost invisible. As soon as
evening approaches, and the dusk be-
gins to gather, the goatsuckers issue
forth and, uttering their curious. vi
brating cry, dart backward and for
ward, falling and rising in the air. in
U u iAtottb' INV
insects. The mouth. which is unusual
~ large, is kept wide open while the
bird is hunting, acting like an ami
mated butterfly net, and sweeping up
all that comes in contact with 1t. added
TO which the inside of the beak Sc
cretes a sticky fluid which, with the
stiff bristles surrounding it. tend to
make escape from this formidable
trap a matter of some difficulty; n
further to aid the bird in retaining
it's prey, 1t has, in addition to the
above mentioned, another popularity
off with a saw-like claw, a very eff
| cient help when holding on to a cap
tured victim.
There is a goatsucker which abounds
in the Maremme of Patria, which is
most remarkable, having the exact rep
resentation of a white moth depicted
on each side of the expanded tail Of
the bird, so that when flying abou in
the night the moths, which constitute
its principal food, seeing the moths
upon the tail. come fluttering round
their devourer instead of avoiding him.
! Owing to it's popularity 1t a acquired
many names, most OF which refer to
the cry, the commonest being puck
ridge, wheel bird. goatsucker, night jar.
night churr. churr owl, fern owl. eve
jar and spinnie. These birds make no
nest. but deposit their two long mot
titu tk6s III q oito 81 tA>
the parents being said to feign injury
! and inability of flight In order to de-
coy away enemies or even to move the
Eggs to a place of greater safety should
LANCER threaten them. In Hampshire
these eggs are about the only kind left
unmolested by village boys, who say
they should never be blown or even
touched, as they are very poisonous
an evil attribute supposed to be also
shared by the birds themselves. who
are said to fly at the eyes OF any one
disturbing their young and certainly
to poison the offender shoul they sue
coed in drawing blood.
Also. say the same rustics. puck
ridges fly round n round in the air
to hit passers-by on the head with
their wings and that should they so
manage to touch a child or young per-
son he or she will never grow again:
IL instead, tits a calf they come In con-
tact with the animal will surely die.
In some places ~goatsuckers are said
to be the souls Of unchristened babies
wandering around their earthly homes.
which idea is strengthened by the fact
that year after year., like the swallow.
| they return to the same neighborhood
and nightly frequent their old haunts.
Also, as their most common name i'm
plies. they are credited with being able
to suck the milk from goats turned out
to pasture on the common lands. This
latter idea is OF great antiquity. SO
we see tina from time immemorial 10
our present enlightened day a harmless
bird has been vested with unnatural
powers. a fallacv that all our modern
education and science has yet failed to
eradicate.