342 HISTORY OF THE 



Antrostomus vociferus (Wils.). 



WHIP-POOR-WILL. 

 PLATE XXIII. 



Summer resident; rare; quite common during migration in 

 the eastern portion of the State. Arrive the middle of May; 

 begin laying the latter part of May; return in September. 



B. 112. R. 3.54. C. 397. G. 163, 162. U. 417. 



Habitat. Eastern United States to the Plains; north to 



Nova Scotia, Manitoba, etc. ; south in winter to Guatemala. 



Sp. Char. "Bristles without lateral filaments; wings about 6.50 inches Ions; 

 top of head ashy brown, longitudinally streaked with black; terminal half of the 

 tail feathers (except the four central) dirty white on both outer and inner webs. 

 In this species the bristles at the base of the bill, though stiff and long, are 

 without the lateral filaments of the Chuck-will's-widow. The wings are rather 

 short; the second quill longest; the first intermediate between the third and 

 fourth; the tail is rounded; the outer feathers about half an inch shorter than 

 the middle ones. The colors of this species are very difficult to describe, although 

 there is quite a similarity to those of A. earolinensis, from which its greatly inte- 

 rior size will at once distinguish it. The top of the head is ashy gray, finely 

 mottled, with a broad median stripe of black; all the feathers with a narrow 

 stripe of the same along their centers; the back and rump are somewhat similar, 

 but of a different shade. There is a collar of white on the under side of the 

 neck, posterior to which the upper part of the breast is finely mottled, some- 

 what as on the top of the head; the belly is dirty white, with indistinct trans- 

 verse bands and mottlings of brown. The wings are brown; each quill with a 

 series of round iiifous spots on both webs, quite conspicuous on the outer side 

 of the primaries when the wings are folded. The terminal half of the outer 

 three tail feathers is of a dirty white. The female is smaller; the collar ou the 

 throat is tinged with fulvous. The conspicuous white patch of the tail is want- 

 ing, the tips only of the outer three feathers being of a pale brownish fulvous." 



stretch of 

 Length. iving. M^'ing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill, 



Male 10.30 18.75 6.40 5.15 .60 .44 



Female... 10.00 18.25 6.20 5.00 .60 .44 



Iris bluish black; bill and claws black; legs and feet grayish 

 brown. 



This bird of the night secretes itself, during the day, in tlie 

 deep, shady thickets, and were it not for its oft-repeated and 

 familiar voice, (heard during the mating season, and occasion- 

 ally late in autumn,) its presence, even when quite common, 

 would seldom be known, as it does not leave its secluded re 

 treats until the shades^of evening darken, and the silvery bugle 



