Nighthawk Notes 



117 



while the males occasionally flew hy so close as to show their little 

 white throats. 



I found the young at noon, June 24, and that night I saw one leave 

 the nest. Next day we went to get their picture, hut they were gone. 

 At dawn next morning I made them another call, hoping to find them 

 at home, hut they were not where I expected, and I starteil away dis- 

 appointed, when the old birds showed their anxiety by flying swiftly about 

 me and calling out rapidly "pick, pick, pick, pc-iik/' I returned and soon 

 found the little ones within a few feet of the nest. They looked like 



"Nor I ri(;h rKNEi). lu r asckv 



little gray and white downy chickens not oKl enough to run. and were 

 about as large as a newly hatched bantam; but they proclaimed b\ their 

 cries that they were Nighthawks, just as the young Chickadee sometimes 

 tells his name before he is old enough to leave his hollow stub. lo 

 make sure of them there was now only one way: They must take a 

 bicNcle ride with me to the\illage photographer. Their father was wait - 

 ing for tliem at half past eight when 1 took them back, asleep on tlic 

 nest but faithful still. When they were two weeks old they visitetl the 

 photographer again. At this time tbc\- were five and a half inches long 

 and spread twelve and a half inches. Iheir legs were nearly three inches 

 long and st) strong ami muscular that they could run nearly as fast as 



