208 BIRDS OF BERMUDA. 



Order PJCARI^. 



Sub-order CYPSELL 



Family CAPRIMULGID^. 



Sub-family CAPRIMULGIN^. 

 Genus Chordeiles, Sw. 

 63. Ghordeiles virginianus, (Gni.) Bp. Night-Hawk. 



Caprimulgus virginianus, Briss. (iu part), Gui. Lath., Bp., And., Nutt. 



CaprimuJgus {Ghordeiles) virgimanus, Sw. & Rich, 



Ghordeiles virginianus, Bp., And., Gir., Woodh., Cass., Brewer, Newb., Scl., 



Salv., Cones. 

 Caprivudgus popetue, Vieil., Bp. 

 Ghordeiles popetue Bd., Heerm., Coop. & Suck,, Lawr., Hayd,, Allen, Coop,, 



Aiken, 

 Gaprimulgus americanus, Wils. 



Length, 9.50 ; wing, 8.20. 



j]^cih. — Entire temperate North and Middle America, north to Hudson's 

 Bay Cuba and Jamaica, migratory ; Bahamas; south to Brazil. (Cones.) 



I cannot do better than quote from " The Naturalist in Bermuda '^ 

 the following : " These curious birds are sometimes very common in 

 April, and also in September and October, on their migration north and 

 south. The marsh below Government House was their great resort, 

 when, just as it was getting dusk, they would appear one by one, and 

 soon be skimming about in all directions, uttering every now and then 

 a sharp whirring sort of cry. They double and rush about in a most 

 wonderful manner, frequently depressing first one side, then the other. 

 Although flying close together, they seem to try and keep apart, each 

 having seemingly its own hunting ground " (Wedderburn). " When this 

 bird visits the islands of Bermuda from the north, it invariably appears 

 between the 20th of September and the 11th of October, and on its 

 vernal flight from the south, arrives with wonderful precision between 

 the 23d and 30th of April" (Hurdis). Individuals of this species were 

 observed by ofQcers of Prospect Garrison on February 20 and 28, 1875. 

 It would almost seem probable that these wintered in Bernuida ; but 

 the question requires further investigation. They are occasionally 

 picked up dead or in a dying condition. One was found dead in the 

 streets of St. George's on the 26th April, 1875, and a live one was 

 brought to me the same day. The stomachs of several I examined 



