ORNITHOLOGY 



203 



signs of the mature markings, though still 

 downy in appearance. When I approach- 

 ed within six feet of them both young 

 suddenly flew out, sailing across the roof, 

 up over the casement wall and away, 

 without alighting. The old bird then 

 fluttered out onto the roof, going through 

 its ruse of feigned lameness to distract 

 attention from the young, as before. 



The nighthawk, or "bull-bat," is with- 

 out doubt one of the most useful of all 

 birds to the farmer and agriculturist, as 

 it feeds entirely upon insects, of which 

 it destroys large quantities. Stomachs of 

 these birds examined have been found to 

 contain over five hundred mosquitos ; 

 others even a greater number of flying 

 ants, while grass-hoppers, cucumber 

 beetles, potato beetles, cotton-boll w^ee- 

 vils, June-bugs and various other de- 

 structive insects form part of their daily 

 food. These insects are all captured by 

 the birds while on the wing. They are 

 very adept fliers, with a quick zigzag- 

 ing flight, and as they come forth about 

 dusk they may often be seen making 

 great swoops downward through the air, 

 seemingly as if they would dash into the 

 ground or the top of some building, sud- 

 denly swerving just before they strike. 



On a wall or ridge of a house they 

 usually alight length-wise, — instead of 

 cross-wise, as do most of the perching 

 birds, — and it is in this position^ squatted 

 upon the limb of a tree, that the night- 

 hawk spends the day in the woods. Here 

 in some open spot it deposits its two eggs 

 — which are blotched similar to the young 

 birds — either upon the ground or a bare 

 rock. 



Chapman, in his "Handbook of Birds 

 of Eastern N. A.," states that "the night- 

 hawk is one of our few truly nocturnal 

 birds," while Forbush, in his "Useful 

 Birds and their Protection," remarks that 

 "It flies chiefly at evening but is seldom 

 heard to cry after dark, and often may be 

 seen flying about during the greater part 

 of the day." My own experience bears 

 out the latter statement, and I have fre- 

 quently heard this bird's sharp, wheezy 

 note in the middle of the day and looked 

 up to see them flying about, high above 

 the city buildings, — although their favor- 

 ite time for feeding seems to be from sun- 

 set until dark, and in the early hours of 

 the morning. The note of these interest- 

 ing birds, although difficult to describe, 

 is unlike that made by any other, and 

 when once heard wall be remembered. 



Belonging to the order of goatsuckers, 

 swifts and humming-birds, the night- 

 hawk is of the same family as the whip- 

 poor-will, which it somewhat resembles 

 and with which it seems to be often con- 

 founded. The latter, however, has a 

 rounded tail showing broad white patches 

 on its outer feathers, and short, rounded 

 wings wuth no conspicuous markings ; 

 while the former has long, angular wings 

 with prominent white bars, and a slightly 

 forked tail. The difference in plumage 

 markings is also readily apparent upon a 

 close examination and comparison. The 

 whip-poor-will is a bird of the woods, 

 often heard, but rarely seen, — unless 

 ocasionally it is flushed from the ground, 

 where it spends the day, — as it seldom 

 appears before night-fall. 

 Nighthawks are birds of the open and 



'THEY WERE QUITE I WIST RLE A FEW 

 YARDS AWAY." 



"THE BLOTCHED MARKI.\GS EXTENDED 

 EVEN TO THEIR BILLS." 



