EASTERN WHIPPOORWILL 177 



The bird is remarkable on account of the regularity of its song 

 and the great number of times it repeats the whip-poor-will with- 

 out a pause. From 50 to 100 repetitions are not uncommon. For- 

 bush (1927) says: "John Burroughs, however, made a count which 

 so far as I know exceeds all others. He records that he heard a 

 bird 'lay upon the back of poor will' 1088 blows with only a rarely 

 perceptible pause here and there, as if to take breath." 



F. Seymour Hersey (1923) writes: "The Whip-poor-will sings most 

 continuously from dusk till about 9.30 p. m. and from 2.00 a. m. till 

 dawn. During the intervening hours only an occasional song is 

 heard. The song season lasts from their arrival in spring until late 

 July or early August. Then there is a marked falling off in the 

 number of singing birds heard until toward the end of August or 

 early in September an increase in the number of singers is again 

 noted. The songs of these late birds often lack the energy that char- 

 acterizes the spring performance but a good many continue to sing 

 until they leave for the south. My latest singing bird was noted 

 September 24, 1901." These dates refer to eastern Massachusetts. 



Of the possibility of the female singing, he says : "June 15 a Whip- 

 poor-will alighted on the fence and uttered its 'chuck' note, which 

 usually precedes the regular song, repeating it a number of times 

 but not giving a note of the usual 'Wliip-poor-wilP call. It also did 

 the same while on the wing. This bird was supposed to be a female 

 as no conspicuous light area was visible on the tail. If so, she was 

 capable of singing the same as the male for I later heard and saw 

 her sing, both from the fence and while on the ground in the middle 

 of the road. She finally flew and was followed by another bird 

 which may have been her mate." 



Of the whippoorwill's minor notes, we have seen above that the 

 growling gr-gr-gr or gaw-gaw-gaw is presumably associated with 

 courtship. I have never heard the note except when two (or more) 

 birds were together, on or near the ground. This note suggests a 

 little a note of the female woodcock, which is used under similar 

 circumstances. The whirring whup-whup-whirr is evidently an 

 alarm note. 



A. Dawes DuBois (1911) mentions two other notes, evidently of 

 alarm. He says : "She fluttered from the spot as she had done the 

 previous day, but this time uttering a very low hissing or 'soughing' 

 sound," and again, "She kept vigilant watch, however, at a short 

 distance, moving about near the ground with a remarkably noiseless 

 flight but uttering a 'chip' or 'whit' similar to that of a domestic 

 chick." 



If we are outdoors at the end of the day, when the sun has gone 

 down and all the ways are darkened, if we are walking along a 



