CIIOUDKILES POPHTUE — THE NIGHT HAWK. 263 



the ground than its congener, and its legs and feet are very 

 small and slim, but poorly adapt.*d to a pedestrian mode of 

 progression, and the deeply pectinated middle claw of the 

 adult adds to the difficulty- When it alights, it is therefore 

 compelled to squat down; but the long and ample wings 

 fully remunerate this bird for any deficiency of foot. 



The usual cry is a short squeak, but in the courting sea- 

 son, the male emits a peculiar sound which the boys call 

 " booming." He rises on the wing to a considerable height, 

 and then darts towards the earth; when within a few feet 

 of it, the wing tips are brought downwards, checking the 

 descent, and sending the bird upward in a curve — at this 

 time the sound is produced. These gambols are repeated 

 again and again, and many males may at one time be seen 

 thus paying court to a particular female. 



The Night Hawk does not build a nest, but deposits its 

 eggs on the bare ground, often in the middle of a field. 

 There are always two, which are deeply iVeckled. The 

 young, like those of the Whip-Poor-Will, are covered with 

 brownish down, and squat close to the ground, so that it is 

 difficult to discover them. The female will pretend lame- 

 ness, like many other birds, so as to lead a person or dog 

 away from the eggs or young. 



The color of the adult, in the upper parts, is a rich, deep 

 brownish black, often with a dark greenish tinge, with 

 mottlings of brown, grey or white. There is a white V 

 shaped mark on the throat, mixed with reddish in the other 

 sex, the apex of which is near the base of the lower mandi- 

 ble, and the ends extend below and behind the eyes. The 

 breast and abdomen are alternately banded with yellowish 

 white and dark brown. The wing i)rimaries are dark brown ; 

 the five outer ones with a distinct band of white formed by 

 blotches on each quill, and very apparent when the wing is 

 extended, and the ends of the secondaries are tipped with 

 white. The tail of the male is dark brown, with mottled 

 bands, and a band of white near the tip, on all but the two 



