210 



TJIK OOLOGIST. 



portunities but to treat of what actual- 

 ly came into my possession. 



When I received my first "check-list" 

 a,fter the awakening of my interest in 

 oo'.ogy I quickly saw that I had passed 

 during my rambles many a precious 

 egg and resolved to make up for lost 

 time. 



Early in April of the following spring 

 I started with spurs and bucket to 

 search for eggs of the Turkey Vulture. 

 I was passing through a dense thicket 

 of post oak when I was surprised by a 

 bii-d's starting up at my feet and riti- 

 fully dragging herself with flapping 

 wings through the underbrush. In- 

 stantly, I recognized the Whip-poor- 

 will. Looking carefully, I soon dis- 

 covered two eggs lying on a thick bed 

 of leaves. I forgot all about Turkey 

 Vultures, and turning, returned home. 

 The eggs ^\eYe typical of the species — 

 elliptical in shape -of a creamy white 

 ground color spotted evenly with lav- 

 ender and lilac. They were perfectly 

 fresh. 



In the latter part of May I located 

 another nest containing one egg, and 

 carefully noted its position. Returning 

 in a couple of days later, expecting to 

 tind the set complete, I could tind no 

 trace of either egg or bird although I 

 searched most thoroughly. This puz- 

 zled me greatly at the time but I have 

 learned since that the bird often moves 

 her eggs or even young when her home 

 is disturbed. I have never had the for- 

 tune to see a bird removing her house- 

 hold ti-easures, but it is said she takes 

 them in her capacious mouth in order 

 to perform the feat. 



My unceasing efforts found no fur- 

 ther reward in the Whip-poor-will line 

 until quite late in the season. On the 

 4th day of July Mr. Williamson and I 

 concluded to celebrate the day in the 

 manner most pleasing to ourselves and 

 took a tramp in the woods which result- 

 ed in the findin^' of a line set of fresh 

 eggs of this species. The following year 



I was not able to find a single egg. al- 

 though I searched repeatedly every 

 thicket within my reach. During the 

 succeeding collecting season I was 

 much more fortunate for six nests came 

 under my .notice, one of which contain- 

 ed hatched young. 



It will be seen from these results that 

 the bird is an irregular summer resi- 

 dent here, some years being very rare 

 and at other times being quite com- 

 mon. Of the eggs which I have tak^n 

 two sets were distinctive. 



The eggs of one were unusually long 

 and thickly marked with very dark 

 lihic. The other set was I'emarkable 

 for its beauty, having the delicate lilac 

 and lavender spots so systematical.'y 

 arranged that the effect was most strik- 

 ing. This set, the most beautiful that 

 I can ever hope to take, now adorns 

 the cabinet of Mr. C. Barlow of Cali- 

 fornia as it has since passed into his 

 hands. 



The eggs of the Whip poor-will are 

 readily distinguished from those of 

 other similar species. All eggs of the 

 Whip-poor-will have the general ellip- 

 tical sliape, although they vary slightly 

 in measurements, and all have the lilac 

 and lavender coloring in various de- 

 grees of intensity upon a background 

 of creamy white. 



I have found the bird nesting invar- 

 iably in thickets almost impenetrable 

 to the rays of the sun. She does not 

 take the trouble to build a nest, but de- 

 posits her two eggs in some chosen 

 spot, usually on a bed of leaves by the 

 side of an old log or dead limbs. Yet, 

 the very carelessness of the parent 

 serves most effectually to conceal her 

 treasures which are with difficult}' dis- 

 tinguished from the surrounding leaves. 

 The only sure way of finding the eggs 

 of the Whip-poor-will is to search thor- 

 oughly and frequently every dark 

 thicket in the neighborhood. How- 

 ever one may often locate the vicinity 

 of a nest by going out in the evening 



