EASTERN KIGHTHAWK 215 



the nest to feed. It became evident through repeated experimental 

 tests that her leaving the nest was considerably influenced by the 

 factor of the intensity of light.) 



3:24 a. m. The male gives a loud peent call as he awakens on his 

 perch in the elm tree. (The elm stands in the school yard and some 

 of its branches extend over the roof wall. The male's favorite perch 

 was on a large horizontal limb just above the level of the roof. 

 When he was through with his activities in the morning or evening 

 he usually retired to this limb. He generally perched lengthwise 

 on this limb, but it was not rare for him to depart from the conven- 

 tional nighthawk position and perch crosswise to the limb.) 



3 : 40 a. m. Light growing brighter in the east, the female can be 

 seen without the use of the flashlight. She sits with her eyes closed, 

 but from time to time she opens them, then raises her head and peers 

 around, as if testing the intensity of the light prior to her leaving 

 the nest. 



3 : 42 a. m. The male nighthawk alights on the roof and gives a 

 sharp 'pee'Yit call, followed by a series of guttural awk-awh-awk notes. 



3 : 44 a. m. The male shifts his position to the roof wall but 

 continues the guttural calls, each time displaying his conspicuous 

 white throat patch. 



4 : 04 a. m. The male leaves the roof wall and alights on the 

 graveled surface within 8 inches of the female. He utters a single 

 sharp peent note, then continues with the striking guttural awk 

 calls. The female shows no outward signs of being impressed b}' 

 the ardent attentions of her mate. 



4 : 08 a. m. The male leaves the roof but soon returns and is 

 joined by a second male. Female leaves her nest and flies toward 

 the males, and all leave under great excitement, uttering sharp, 

 piercing calls. The female lent a hand in driving away the strange 

 male. 



4:10 a. m. The female returns and pulls her eggs beneath her in 

 the usual manner. 



4 : 14 a. m. The male alights on the roof about 30 feet from the 

 nest and utters a series of aiok calls in rapid succession, as if much 

 excited as the result of his combat. 



4 : 30 a. m. The male is chasing a strange nighthawk and, as he 

 pursues he utters a series of yap-yap-yap-yap calls in rapid fire 

 succession, a note I have not heard before. 



4 : 33 a. m. The male is now going through his hair-raising dives 

 and producing the so-called boom notes, which to me resemble 

 swo-o-o-onk^ with the accent on the last syllable. 



4 : 46 a. m. The sun has not yet risen. The male nighthawk flies 

 to his perch in his favorite elm tree, and thus end his activities for 

 the morning. 



