122 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



CHOEDEILES POPETUE. — ^aircf. 



The Night-hawk; Bull Bat. 



Caprimulgus popetue, Vieillot. Ois. Am. Sept., L (1807) 56. 

 Caprimulgus Americanus, Wilson, V. (1812) 65. 

 Caprimulgus Virginianus. Aud. Cm. Biog., II. (1834) 273. 



Description. 



Male, above greenish-black, with but little mottling on the head and back ; wing 

 coverts varied with grayish ; scapulars with yellowish-rufous ; a nuchal band of fine 

 gray mottling, behind which is another coarser one of rufous spots; a white 

 V-shaped mark on the throat; behind this a collar of pale-rufous blotches, and 

 another on the breast of grayish mottling; under parts banded transversely with 

 duU-yellowish or reddish-white and brown ; wing quills quite uniformly brown ; the 

 five outer primaries with a white blotch midway between the tip and cai-pal 

 joint, not extending on the outer web of the outer quill; tail with a terminal white 

 patch. 



Female, without the caudal white patch, the white of tlie throat mixed with 

 reddish. 



Length of male, nine and fifty one-hundredths inches ; wing, eight and twenty 

 one-hundi'edths inches. 



This bird is much more abundantly distributed through- 

 out New England than the preceding; and its habits are, 

 consequently, better known. It arrives from the south 

 about the 10th of May. At this time, great numbers may 

 be observed, at early twilight, coursing through the air in 

 different directions, sometimes at a great height, sometimes 

 just above the trees in the country, or houses in the city ; 

 occasionally, very near the earth or water, or, when near 

 the seacoast, but just above the marshes, where they destroy 

 great numbers of insects. Their flight is very rapid, their 

 long wings giving quick, powerful sweeps ; and, as they dart 

 about in many eccentric movements, busily gleaning their 

 food, they utter, at oft-repeated intervals, their short note 

 or squeak, which almost exactly resembles that of the Com- 

 mon Snipe. 



About the middle of May, or by the 20th of that month, 

 in Maine, the male commences his attentions to the female. 

 His movements at this time are interesting, and, from their 

 common occurrence, familiar to all who live in the country. 



