WHIP-POOR-WILL. 249 



in extent ; the bill is blackish, a full quarter of an inch long, much 

 stronger than that of the Night-hawk, and bent a little at the point, the 

 under mandible arched a little upwards, following the curvature of the 

 upper ; the nostrils are prominent and tubular, their openings directed 

 forward ; the mouth is extravagantly large, of a pale flesh color within, 

 and beset along the sides with a number of long thick elastic bristles, 

 the longest of which extends more than half an inch beyond the point 

 of the bill, end in fine hair, and curve inwards ; these seem to serve as 

 feelers ; and prevent the escape of winged insects : the eyes are very 

 large, full, and bluish black ; the plumage above is so variegated with 

 black, pale cream, brown, and rust color, sprinkled and powdered in 

 such minute streaks and spots, as to defy description ; the upper part 

 of the head is of a light brownish gray, marked with a longitudinal 

 streak of black, with others radiating from it ; the back is darker, finely 

 streaked with a less deep black ; the scapulars are very light whitish 

 ochre, beautifully variegated with two or three oblique streaks of very 

 deep black ; the tail is rounded, consisting of ten feathers, the exterior 

 one an inch and a quarter shorter than the middle ones, the three outer 

 feathers on each side are blackish brown for half their length, thence 

 pure white to the tips, the exterior one is edged with deep brown nearly 

 to the tip ; the deep brown of these feathers is regularly studded with 

 light brown spots ; the four middle ones are without the white at -the 

 ends, but beautifully marked with herring-bone figures of black and 

 light ochre finely powdered ; cheeks and sides of the head of a brown 

 orange or burnt color ; the wings, when shut, reach scarcely to the 

 middle of the tail, and are elegantly spotted with very light and dark 

 brown, but are entirely without the large spot of white which distin- 

 guishes those of the Night-hawk ; chin black, streaked with brown ; a 

 narrow semicircle of white passes across the throat ; breast and belly 

 irregularly mottled and streaked with black and yellow ochre ; the legs 

 and feet are of a light purplish flesh color, seamed with white ; the 

 former feathered before, nearly to the feet ; the two exterior toes are 

 joined to the middle one as far as the first joint by a broad membrane ; 

 the inner edge of the middle claw is pectinated, and from the circum- 

 stance of its being frequently found with small portions of down adher- 

 ing to the teeth, is probably employed as a comb to rid the plumage of 

 its head of vermin, this being the principal and almost only part so 

 infested in all birds. 



The female is about an inch less in length and in extent ; the bill, 

 mustaches, nostrils, &c., as in the male. She diff'ers in being much 

 lighter on the upper parts, seeming as if powdered with grains of meal ; 

 and instead of the white on the three lateral tail feathers, has them 

 tipped for about three-quarters of an inch with a cream color ; the bar 

 across the throat is also of a brownish ochre ; the cheeks and region of 



