262 CHORDEILES POPETUE — THE NIGHT HAWK. 



back. There is a white band or collar on the throat; the 

 rest of the breast and neck like the upper parts; the abdo- 

 men paler and mottled. The female has the tail feathers 

 reddish white at the tip only, and the collar on the neck 

 yellowish brown. The bristles at the base of the bill are 

 without lateral filaments, but are very long; the wings rather 

 short. 



Genus Chordeiles, Swainson. 



Bill very small, the gape with very short, feeble bristles. 

 Wings very long and pointed, with the first quill nearly or 

 quite equal to the second, and the primaries not emargin- 

 ated on the inner edge. Tail long, slightly forked in the 

 North American species; plumage rather compact. 



[This generic description is taken from the valuable work 

 of Prof. S. F. Baird, on the Birds of America, being the ninth 

 volume of the Pacific Kailroad Survey. We shall use this 

 work for a like purpose in future articles.] 



Chordeiles Popetue, Viellot. — The Night Hawk. 



Audubon's Birds of America, I., plate 43. 



These birds are known to every one, whether they live in 

 town or country. They arrive from the south about the 

 same time as their relatives, the Whip-Poor-Wills, and may 

 be seen in the early morning and evening, flying about with 

 light and graceful motion, in pursuit of insect food. In 

 cloudy weather they may often be seen during the whole 

 day, thus difl"ering materially from the Whip-Poor- Will that 

 comes iorlh only when the shades of night have fallen. 



The Night Hawk has great power of wing and can sustain 

 itself in the air tor a long time, and is seldomer found on 



