36 



The rapid twittering of Chimney Swifts is often heard 

 as they wheel about ov^erhead, and the sound is greatly aug- 

 mented when a little swift is about to make his maiden 

 flight into the unknown. All the adults and young in the 

 vicinity gather to celebrate the event and to encourage the 

 little fellow in his attempt. The young swifts get their 

 wings strongly developed before leaving the chimney by 

 flights from side to side, so that they have little to fear as 

 they emerge into the open and follow the others over the 

 house tops. 



Swifts are used by many as weather prophets and their 

 prognostications seem to come true far more often than 

 those of our government experts. When swifts fly high, 

 fair weather is presumed to follow; when they fly low, look 

 out for rain. Whether they fly high or fly low, however, 

 you may be quite certain that it is not the state of the 

 weather that influences them but means that the food they 

 seek is most abundant at that level. The weather may or 

 may not influence the altitudes at which the winged insects 

 happen to be. 



NiGHTHAWKS AND WhIP-POOR-WILLS 



These two birds, often confused with one another by 

 many, are similar in form but distinctive in plumage and 

 very diff'erent in habits. I will first note some of the dis- 

 tinctions. 



Nighthawk has a white throat, white bar across the outer 

 wing feathers, white bar across the middle of the outer tail 

 feathers and the tail a trifle forked (female has the throat 

 and tail bars rather bufFy-colored). Whip-poor-will has a 

 black throat, no white on wings, rounded tail and white 

 tips to the outer feathers. These differences in plumage 

 are positive and should distinguish the two whether seen 

 flying or perching. But there are other differences. 



