196 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



white, strongly suggesting eggs of the Mei'rill Parauque (Nyctidromus albir 

 collis merriUi), although the pink of the Poor-will eggs showed a closer 

 approach to .salmon. Around the larger ends was a rather dense wreath of 

 lavender and dusky spots and dots, making the eggs look exceedingly like the 

 marked eggs of some small petrel. * * * in the course of time many of the 

 smaller dots have faded out, leaving only a comparatively few spots and dots 

 to show where the heavy wreath was once located. The strong pinkish tinge 

 has also very largely gone, in spite of the fact that the eggs have been care- 

 fully kept from exposure to the light. 



The measurements of 40 eggs average 26.3 by 19.4 millimeters ; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 28.4 by 20.0, 27.7 by 21.1, 

 24.2 by 18.2, and 24.9 by 17.0 millimeters. 



Behamor. — Poorwills are notoriously close sitters, but the pair 

 studied by Mr. Aldrich (1935) were unusually tame. He was re- 

 peatedly able to approach cautiously to within 3 or 4 feet of the 

 incubating bird ; once, at night, eight observers managed to approach 

 within 2 feet, while the bird sat tight all the time. The next morn- 

 ing, "when we were but three feet from the nest, the bird's large 

 clear white spots on the tail identified it to be the male that was 

 doing the incubating. Many pictures were taken, some as close as 

 ten inches, without the slightest sign of fear on the part of the 

 sitting bird. * * * Experiments were made to find the extent of 

 his 'bravery' by touching him. While touching the head the first 

 time he flattened out his wings and spread the fan-like tail over 

 the tips of them showing all the tail spots. The large head was 

 then brought far back on the shoulders, the cavernous mouth opened 

 extremely wide showing the pink interior, and a low guttural hiss 

 was emitted at short intervals." 



Later in the same day, at 2 p. m., he flushed the female from the 

 nest and sat down 5 yards away to watch her return; "exactly ten 

 and one-half minutes marked the reappearance of the same bird. She 

 had flown from behind the log nearly to the top where she could 

 barely look over and observe the surroundings. Immediately she 

 started swaying from side to side very slowly and rhythmically for 

 about five seconds before walking to the top of the log, each step in 

 synchronization with the swaying. Here she paused for about twenty 

 seconds, and then flew a few yards, within two and one-half feet of 

 the nest, where she began swaying again. The rest of the distance 

 to the nest was accomplished by this slow walking-swaying process, 

 and she did not seem to get anxious and speed up as she came closer. 

 Two short stops were made on the way." 



The dusky poorwill is tame and unsuspicious at other times also. 

 RoUo H. Beck (1897) watched one at short range while it was catch- 

 ing insects on a road and finally succeeded in putting his hat over 

 it, though it escaped : he says : "After watching it a while I crawled 

 up within four feet and had a chance to watch it in the bright moon- 



