94 



THE OOLOGIST. 



The Whip-poor-will. 



"When purpling shadows westward creep 



And stars through crimson curtains peep, 

 And south winds sing themselves to sleep ; 



From woodlands heavy with perfume 

 Of spicy bud and April bloom 



Comes through the tender twilight gloom, 

 Music most mellow. 



'Whip-po'-will— will, oh I 

 Whip-po'-will— will, oh I 



Whip-po'-will, whip-po'-will, whip-po'-will 

 —Will, oh!' 

 The bosom of the brook is filled 



With new alarm, the forest thrilled 

 With startled echos, and most skilled. 



To run a labjTinthine race 

 The fireflies light their lamps to chase 



The culprit through the darkling space — 

 Mischievous fellow. 



'Whip-po'-will— will, oh ! 

 Whip-po'-will— will, oh ! 



Whip-po'-will, whip-po'-will, whip-po'-will 

 —Will, oh I' 

 From hill to hill the echoes fly 



The marshy brakes take up the cry. 

 And when the slumbering waters lie 



In calm repose, and slyly feeds 

 The snipe among the whispering reeds, 

 The tale of this wild sprite's misdeeds 

 Troubles the billows. 



'Whip-po'-will— will, oh! 

 Whip-po'-will— will, oh ! 



Whip-po'will, whip-po'-will, whip-po'-will 

 —Will, oh!'" 



Arriviug here abaut the tenth of 

 April, the return of the Whippoorwill 

 i.s welc-onied bj- almost every one as a 

 happ3' signal of the near approach of 

 tlie balmy days of spring. His famil- 

 iar notes, which are listened to with 

 such interest by all, are at first heard 

 from s<;me retired part of the woods, 

 but soon he begins to visit the more 

 open fields and roadsides, and fre- 

 , qneutiy ventures within a few yards of 

 our dwellings. These friendly visits 

 have l)cen regarded by the superstitious 

 as omens of disaster, bence we some- 

 times hear of death or some misfortune 

 which has followed these nocturnal 

 visits. It is very remarkable how the 

 syllable representing the notes of this 

 bird, are changed to suit the fanciful 

 imaginations of ditierent persons. To 

 many it resembles the syllables whip- 



pooi'-wiU, from which its name is de- 

 rived. To me it is a distinct articula- 

 tion of whip-o-will. Mr. Laugille says 

 to his ear it is like ''chick-hoo-rhee." 

 We are informed by Nuttall that some 

 of the Indians tribes gave to this bird 

 the name "Wecoalis,'''' for the same 

 reason that it has been given "Whip- 

 poor-wilV in English. By the casual 

 observer there is no distinction made 

 between the note of the Whip-poor-will 

 and that of the Chuck-wills-widow, no 

 difference being known between the 

 two birds, as they are rarely or never; 

 as a result; the notes are heard as com- 

 ing from one bird. This may be an 

 explanation of some of the various 

 renderings by different ears. It is not 

 our purpose to criticise, but unless it be 

 considered as poeticr license, which per- 

 mits the use of peculiar forms and ex- 

 j)ressions, the author of the pleasing 

 and expressive lines as quoted above 

 must have fallen into the same error. 

 Observe "will-oh,''' at the conclusion of 

 each line representing the song which 

 follows each verse. This seems to be a 

 c )rruption oiwid-ow, the last two syll- 

 ables of the Chuck-will's-widow's note; 

 the sound of d being displaced by that 

 of I. In habits the Whip-poor-will and 

 Chuck-will's-widow are ver3' similar, 

 retiring to some unfrequented part of 

 the woods during the day, there 

 remaining in perfect silence, and un- 

 seen. But no sooner does night spread 

 its curtains of darkness around, then 

 the woods begin to reverberate with 

 their vociferous notes, which is apt to 

 produce a feeling of loneliness upon 

 one if alone in the woods at this time, 

 yet the sound is not unpleasant. These 

 strains die away as night advances, 

 when at the hour of midnight aM is 

 silent, Init start afresh in the morning, 

 saluting the dawn with their "melod- 

 ious music." 



Many are the erroneous ideas enter- 

 tained by intelligent persons, who have 

 never taken the pains to ascertain the 



