212 I N A G U A 



while, listening to the noises and trying to identify them. Pres- 

 ently, out of the darkness came a sound that could only be 

 described as wop. The ivop was followed by a whistling sound 

 and a long silence, then wop again. Straining my eyes I tried 

 to see some form of movement; then, against the stars was the 

 shape of a rapidly moving body which plummeted to earth. 

 Sliding back to the house I seized a flashlight and went in the 

 direction of the noise. The rays of the flash lighted the eroded 

 coral, throwing the worn spires into gaunt fantastic shapes; 

 on the very edge of the cHff was a pair of gleaming yellow eyes. 

 The eyes did not move. Walking quietly in my tennis shoes, 

 I crept nearer. 



Suddenly the orbs disappeared and I caught a brief glimpse 

 of a flash of brown feather and the curve of a long sickle-shaped 

 wing. I thought the creature had gone but a sudden wop as 

 it hit the ground directly in front of me announced its return. 

 The brown feathers resolved into a long sleek body surmounted 

 with a round head with a tiny bill. It was a nighthawk. Instead 

 of flying away it shuflled across the rocks and then very delib- 

 erately sat down near a pile of seaweed. I walked over and 

 crouched beside it. Accustomed as I was to the tameness of 

 the birds of this lonely island, this did not seem reasonable. I 

 thrust the flash in its face. It closed its eyes as if intensely an- 

 noyed, as no doubt it was, and remained in place. 



The nighthawk was a perfect example of a nocturnal crea- 

 ture. The eyes were large and sensitive and their brilhant gleam 

 was direct evidence of night living habits. Its plumage was drab 

 and well camouflaged; among the open glades and gravel beds 

 where it rested during the daylight hours it was all but in- 

 visible. The seemingly tiny mouth was deceptive; I knew that 

 it was capable of tremendous extension, and acted as a highly 

 effective net or scoop. The strong recurved wings gave it the 

 darting flight with which it captures the insects on which it 



