194 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



State College, April 7; Rinconada, April 10. Colorado — Beulali, 

 April 29; Denver, May 9. Wyoming — Laramie Peak, May 2; Lin- 

 gle. May 3. Montana — Terry, May 16. Arizona — Tombstone, 

 March 20. Utah— Kobe Valley, May 23. California— Piedra, 

 March 5; Daggett, March 12; San Clemente Island, March 30; Las- 

 sen Peak, April 16. British Columbia — Okanagan Landing, 

 April 22. 



Fall 'migration. — Late dates of fall departure are : British Colum- 

 bia — Okanagan Landing, September 20. California — Daggett, Oc- 

 tober 21 ; Los Angeles, October 25 ; La Verne, October 28 ; Garnsey, 

 November 2. Arizona — San Francisco IMountain, September 29. 

 Montana — Big Sandy, September 4; Bighorn River, September 19. 

 Wyoming — Powder River, September 9; Clear Fork, September 19. 

 Colorado — Beulah, October 8. New Mexico — State College, October 

 30; SieiTa Hachita, November 24. South Dakota — ^Wliite River, 

 September 27. Kansas — Onaga, September 27. Oklahoma — Kenton. 

 September 26. 



Egg dates — Arizona : 5 records. May 2 to August 2. 



California: 42 records, March 22 to August 8; 21 records, May 

 6 to June 25, indicating the height of the season. 



Colorado : 5 records. May 26 to July 27. 



Texas : 11 records, April 29 to June 20. 



PHALAENOPTILUS NUTTALLI CALIFORNICUS Ridgway 

 DUSKY POORWILL 



Plates 25-27 



HABITS 



The goatsuckers are now in their proper place in the A. O. U. 

 Check-list, showing their relationship to the owls, which they strik- 

 ingly resemble in several characters. The poor wills are conspicuous 

 in this respect ; they are more strictly nocturnal in their activities than 

 some of the owls, for which they are well adapted ; the eyes are very 

 large, suggesting those of owls; the mouth is very broad, but some 

 of the owls have broad mouths also ; the plumage is fully as soft as 

 that of the owls; and their flight is noiseless, like that of most 

 night-flying birds. The Caprimulgidae are not predators on verte- 

 brate animals, although the chuck-will's-widow has been known to 

 eat birds; but they all live on animal food; and many owls live 

 largely on insects. 



The dusky poor will does not enjoy so extensive a distribution as its 

 inland relative, nuttalli^ but perhaps it is equally as well known 

 throughout its range in California. 



