APPENDIX. 167 



Limit of Verbal Description. — Contin. 



songs, each in its way remarkable. Nuttall describes its song as ' a simple, 

 long, reiterated note, rising from low to high, and shrill;' Richardson 

 speaks of it as ' a loud, clear, and remarkably pleasing ditty ; ' and Mr. 

 Allen calls it ' a loud, echoing song, heard everywhere in the deep 

 woods.' — Baird, Brewer, and Bidgway : North American Birds. Land- 

 Birds, vol i. p. 282. 



Night-Hawk. (See p. 66.) 



" At early evening, and in cloudy weather throughout the greater part 

 of the day, he ascends into the air ; and when he has attained a consider- 

 able height, partially closing his wings, he drops with great velocity 

 through the distance of seventy-five or one hundred feet, sometimes 

 nearly to the earth. The sound made by the air passing through the 

 wing quills is so loud that I have often heard it at certainly the distance 

 of half a mile; it resembles, as NuttaU truly says, the sound produced 

 by blowing into the bung-hole of an empty hogshead. This act is often 

 repeated, the bird darting about at the same time in every direction, and 

 uttering his sharp squeak. Wilson was of the opinion that this habit of 

 the Night-Hawk was confined to the period of incubation ; the male acting 

 in this manner, as he thought, to intimidate any person from approaching 

 the nest. I have had abundant opportunities for observing the bird in all 

 times of the summer, and during its stay with us ; and I should unhesi- 

 tatingly affirm that from the time of early courtship until the young 

 are hatched, if not after, the male acts in this manner." — Samuels, E. A. : 

 Our Northern and Eastern Birds, p. 123. 



" The male Night ' Hawk ' produces an equally extraordinary sound, 

 which is heard chiefly during the season of courtship. Mounting to some 

 height, he falls, head foremost, until near the ground, when he checks his 

 downward course ; and then the ' booming ' is heard, a sound ' resembling 

 that produced by blowing strongly into the bung-hole of an empty hogs- 

 head.' I am uncertain as to what causes this noise, having found it 

 impossible to make any close observations. Wilson thought it produced 

 by the mouth, Audubon, by the concussion caused by a change of position 

 in the wings." — Minot, H. D. : Land-birds and Game-birds of N. E., p. 299. 



Whippoorwill. {See p. 68.) 



" The whippoorwill interested me very much. He sings 

 in thirds, no other intervals, — just the same always. I had 



