152 Birds of Oregon and Washington 



thought it was "the Shad Spirit warning the 

 shoals of shad, about to ascend the rivers to 

 spawn, of their impending fate." 



But later we came to know the useful and 

 beautiful bird that, in its splendid free flight over 

 country and city, uttered his friendly though 

 somewhat strident note, and ever and anon — 

 whether for sport, or for an insect, who can tell ? 

 — would drop head-foremost from a great height 

 (sometimes several hundred feet), holding wings 

 and tail stiff and at an angle that would produce 

 the booming and jarring sound referred to. 

 This bird has many names in the East — the 

 "Night Jar," the "Bull Bat," the "Mosquito 

 Hawk," and others. 



Man's blindness to his friends, the birds, is 

 again illustrated by the way in which some even 

 now regard the Nighthawk as an enemy to 

 poultry. 



The Nighthawk is unfortunately named, for 

 he is not a Hawk at all ; and, strictly speaking, 

 he never flies at night, but usually after sunset 

 and near nightfall, and sometimes into the dusk. 

 His bill and claws could not handle meat. He 

 is wholly an insectivorous bird. 



