Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/659

* NIGHTJAR. 561 NIGIDIXJS FIGTJLtrS. its inner edge, so as to form a kind of comb attached to the toe. Although the l)ill is very sliort and «cak, the {jape is extremely wide, as if the head itself were divided, and the mouth is surrounded by bristles, assistin<; the bird in securing its agile prey. All avoid activity in daylight, when they rest quiet on the ground, a log, stone, or large horizontal tree-branch, in some shady place, and almost always lengthwise of the pcrc'li — a habit due not only to the feeble grasping power of the feet, but to the greater invisibility thus obtained. In many instances the birds have a further ])roteetive habit of still'ening themselves in certain positions where they resemble a knot, or a broken and projecting stick, and so escape notice. (See Morepork.) They make no nests, or only very poor ones, which are placed on the ground. The oblong eggs are usually two, and are whitish or incon- spicuoush' marked. (See Colored Plate of Eggs OF SoNG-BiRus.) The voice is a screaming, jarring, or booming note, produced in flight; while many species have an oft -repeated cry, usually translatable into syllables, as "whip-poor- Will" or 'chuck-Will's-widow.' About 100 species are known, included in about fourteen genera. Of these, four or five genera with six species occur in the United States. The best known are the whippoorwill. chuek-Will's-widow. poorwill, and nighthawk (qq.v.). The best-known species of the Old World is the common nightjar, 'churn- owl.' or 'fern-owl' {C(ii>riiniilrius Eiiropdus) , familiar throughout Central Europe, the Mediter- ranean region, and Western Asia. The potoos (q.v. ) of Jamaica and South America represent a distinct subfamily ( Xyctibiiiuv), and an aberrant form is the guacharo (q.v.). Consult standard authorities, especially Xew- ton. Dictionary of Birds (London and Xew York, 180301!). Sec Plate of Nightjars, etc. NIGHTMARE (night + mare, AS. mara, OHG. marO, mar, dialectic Ger. Mahr, JIar, in- culjus ; connected with Polish 7nora, Bohem. miira, incubus, Russ. kilci-mora, ghost). A sen- sation of ilistress. sufl'ocation, or ojipression which occurs during sleep, and is attended by hideous dreams, or indefinite feelings of terror, with a sense of utter helplessness and inability to move or cry out. Nightmare is associated with dis- turbances of the circulation and respiration, and is most commonly caused l)y the taking of heavy meals or indigestible food shortly before going to bed. It occurs in persons of a nervous tem- perament, or in those subjected to severe mental strain or overwork. The pliysical symptoms of nightmare include groaning, flushing of the face, neck and chest, cold perspiration, or a general trembling of the body. The breathing is dis- turbed and sometimes stertorous. The pulse is irregular, but otherwise normal. The night terrors of children may be regarded as a form of nightmare. The child sees some object which inspires him with fear, and s])rings up. screaming and protesting. He recognizes no one and has no rememlirance of the ciroimstnnec in the morning. Other allied psychical condi- tions are observed in certain forms of incipient delirium, such as occurs in fevers, or as the result of alcdlioHc excesses. See Delirium. NIGHTMARE ABBEY. A novel by Thomas Love Peacock (1818). The hero is a caricature of Shellev. NIGHTSHADE (AS. uilitscada. OHG. luiht- scdlo. Gcr. Sa( htsi-hattcn. nightshade, from AS. niht, OHG. naht, Ger. Xacht, night + AS. scada, OHG. scato, Ger. Sichatten, shade). The common name of certain plants of the natural order Solanacea". possessing the narcotic properties frequently developed in that order. Anumg them are some species of Solanum. particularly the common niglitshade or black nightshade ( iS'oia- num nigrum), an annual or biennial slightly BLACK NIGHTSHADE. narcotic weed in waste places throughout the world. It has erect angular stems, ovate leaves, drooping lateral umbels of white flowers, and globose black berries. The leaves in a fresh state are said to be injurious to animals, but seem to lose almost all narcotic property by boiling. The berries, although generally dreaded or suspected, may also, it is said, be eaten, at least in moderate quantity, without danger. They contain, however, the alkaloid solanin. found also in the shoots of the potato. Solaiuiin dulcainnra is popularly known as bittersweet (q.v.). .See Bell.i)ON>a. and Colored Plate of Poisoxois Plants. NIGHTSHADE FAMILY. A natural order of plants. See Sol.vxace.e. NIGHT WALKER, The, or The Little Thief. A comedy bj' Fletcher. It was written probably not later than 1018, was altered by SbirU-v in 10.33. and performed in 1034. NIGHT WATCH, The. A large picture I)y Rembrandt in the Ryks Museum at .insterdam (1642), representing a company of ar(iuel)usii'rs under Capt. Frans Banning Coch coming out of their guild house. The faces are portraits. The painting is Rembrandt's largest and most re- nowned work. NIGID'ITIS FICTTIiTJS, PuBLius (c.lOO- 44 B.C.). - Latin grammarian and Pythagorean philosopher. He was pronounced by Aulus Gel- liiis the most learned of the Romans next to Varro. and was so celebrated as an astrologer that in later times it was believed he had predicted the future greatness of Octavianus on learning of the latter's birth. He was a par- tisan of Pompey in the Civil War. and in conse- quence was compelled by Cipsar to live abroad, and died in exile. The surviving fragments of his works, w'hich treated grammar, religion, and