CHUCK-WILL' S-WIDOW 151 



Young. — Some notes of unusual interest in regard to the behavior 

 of the adult at the nest, as well as the actions of the young birds, 

 have been sent me by Herbert L. Stoddard, of Thomasville, Ga. 

 These are transcribed herewith, and in the general lack of such 

 knowledge they serve to illuminate something of the home life of this 

 interesting species: 



"April 30 (1928), 7 a. m. : One egg has hatched and the chick is a 

 queer little mite covered with a yellow-ochre down, and hops about 

 like a frog in a very lively manner. When he is uncomfortably hot 

 or chilled he gives a plaintive little pipe that can be heard about 

 20 feet 



"May 1 : Other chick hatched out this morning or during the night 

 and eggshells were gone. 



"May 3 : Chicks growing fast but still being brooded in same spot. 

 Mother goes to sleep on a fence post after flushing, but as soon as 

 chicks start to squeal from the heat, she becomes frantic and will 

 nearly fly into my face. I bother her a few minutes at 3 p. m. each 

 day, as I chase her well away, then duck into the blind and take a 

 few feet of film as she comes back to the nest. Not much action, 

 however, and she is a wise fowl. She knows perfectly when I am in 

 the blind ! 



"May 6: Found the nest spot empty today at noon but finally 

 located the old bird (she has two patches of albinistic feathers in cen- 

 ter of upper breast, so I know it's the same individual that performed 

 the incubation) brooding her two chicks about 30 feet south. Their 

 eyes have been open from the first but are now a little deeper in color 

 and are always half closed like those of the adult in daytime. 



"May 13: Have kept in rather close touch with the chuck-will's- 

 widow family recently. They are living under a growth of sparkle- 

 berry shrubs and have lived here within a radius of 6 feet for the 

 last ten days. 



"The place is pretty well marked by their mourning-dovelike excre- 

 ment. When disturbed, the chicks hop off with elevated wings in a 

 'mechanical toy' sort of way. That is, their progress is marked by a 

 series of rapid, toadlike hops until they are 'run down' (usually in 

 30 or 40 feet). The wings serve as balances. 



"The chicks have a little complaining whine that brings the mother 

 in frantic haste. She flies noiselessly about, every now and then lying 

 on the ground with her wings widely spread and reached forward^ 

 with the primaries pressed to the ground. In this queer position, 

 she beats them a bit and opens and shuts her huge mouth, exhal- 

 ing air audibly as she does so and occasionally uttering the queer, 

 froglike croak. Altogether an odd performance. No evidence of a 

 mate has been seen about this location." 



