142 LIFE niSTORIES OF NORTH AMERIOAI^ BIEDS. 



opening about 4 feet high. Witli a foot grasping either side of the entrance he 

 gazed upon the intruder. Having comprehended the situation, he flew to another 

 tree, where he quietly awaited my inspection and departure. The hole was tlieii 

 down about 15 inches. By April 7 it had reached a depth of about 20 inches, 

 and contained six fresh eggs, upon which the female was then sitting. As no 

 description lias hitherto appeared of the eggs of this species it may be well to 

 present here the measurements of this set (No. 803, author's oological collec- 

 tion). They correspond exactly, both in color and general shape, with scores of 

 other eggs of this genus, and offer the following measurements in millimetres: 

 28 by 22, 28 by 22, 28 by 22.5, 29 by 22, 29.5 by 22, 29.5 by 22;" or about 

 1.11 by 0.87, 1.11 by 0..S7, 1.11 by 0.89, 1.14 l)y 0.87, 1.16 by 0.87, and 1.16 

 bv 0.87 inches. 



There are no eggs of this species in the United States National Museum 

 collection. 



Family CAPRIMULGID^. Goatsuckers, etc. 

 51, Antrostomus carolinensis (Gmelin). 



CHUCK-WILL'S WIDOW. 



Caprinmlffus carolinensis Gmelin, Systema Natunc, I, ii, 1788, lOL'S. 

 Antrostomus carolinensis Gould, Icoiies Avium, 1S38. 



(F. Ill, C 2Gi, E 353, (J 390, U 41G.) 



Geogkaphical range: From the South Atlantic and Gulf States and the Lower 

 Mississippi Valley north to the southern portions of Virginia, Illinois, and Indiana, the 

 jjreater portion of Arkansas, vSoutliern Missouri, and the Indian Territory; west to Texas; 

 south in winter to the West India Islands, and through eastern Mexico and Central Amer- 

 ica to Colombia, South America. Casual in soutliern Kansas; accidental in Massachusetts. 



The Ijreediug range of Chuck- will's- widow, also locally known in South 

 Carolina as the "Dutch Whip-poor-will" or " Chip-the-red-oak-white-oak," and 

 in some of the West India Islands as the "Spanish Whip-poor-will," is coexten- 

 sive with its geograi)liical distribution in the United States, excepting the lower 

 Rio Grande Valley, in Texas. It is only a summer visitor over tlie greater 

 portion of its range with us, but, according to Mr. W. E. D. Scott, in "The Auk" 

 (Vol. VI, 1889, p. 252), "Some of these birds are resident on the Gulf coast of 

 Florida, at least as far norrii as Tarpon Springs, where in winter, in Decendjer and 

 Januar)^ they are rather rarei- than at other seasons of the year." Mr. E. A. 

 Mcllhenny also tells me tliat they are common residents in southern Louisiana. 

 By far the greater numl^er, however, retire farther south, wintering in the West 

 India Islands, as well as in Central America, and a few even pass the Isthmus of 

 Tanama to Colomljia, South America. They usually reenter the United States, 

 from their Avinter homes in the south, early in April, and move leisurely north- 

 ward to their breeding grounds, returning southward again about the beginning of 

 September. The males usually make their appearance on the breeding grounds 



