166 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



two eggs on the bare gTonnd, frequently in very exposed situations, sometimes 

 on some little elevation, or in sliglit depressions on flat rocks, between the rows 

 in corn or potato fields, in pastures, on gravel bars, and cinder piles near fur- 

 naces, and within i-ecent years they also nest more and more frequently on the 

 flat, gravel-covered roofs of houses in our larger cities. They undoubtedly 

 find such nesting sites very convenient and secure, but the intense heat to which 

 the eggs and young are necessarily exposed during the day must be something 

 fearful, and I have no doubt that some of the latter perish, and that not a few 

 of the eggs become addled, from this cause. In favorite localities the Night- 

 hawk breeds occasionally in small colonies, and several pairs may be foxmd 

 breeding in close proximity to each other. I believe, as a rule, only a single 

 brood is raised in a season, but if the first set of eggs is taken, a second one will 

 be laid about a week after, which consists occasionally of only a single egg. 



The Nighthawk was quite common along the liorders of the open pine 

 forests near Fort Klamath, Oregon, and all the nests found here were placed 

 close to the edge of the perpendicular rim rock which skirts Klamath Valley 

 toward the east. The eggs were invariably laid Avithin a foot of the edge, and 

 I presume such places were selected for protective purposes to lessen the danger 

 of their being stepped on by cattle or horses. These birds always pick out a dry 

 and well-drained spot in which to lay their eggs, and if discovered on the nest, 

 the parent attempts by all the well-known tactics of ground-breeding birds to 

 draw the intruder away from the .spot, fluttering- in front of him, just out of 

 reach, uttering at times low cries of distress, etc. Occasionally the eggs or 

 young are removed quite a little distance by the parent, but this habit is by no 

 means universal. A nest examined by me on June 14, 18D3, in Herkimer 

 County, New York, was found in a slight natural depression on a well-drained 

 fern-covered side hill, in an old clearing, close to a small lake. The eggs laid 

 on the bare ground about an inch or more apart, which seems to be their usual 

 position, the ends pointing in the same direction; when covered, each rests 

 against opposite sides of the breast of the parent and is held in place by the 

 wings. I })urposely flu.shed this bird several times to note her actions. It 

 allowed me to approach her within a couple of feet each time before flying off, 

 and then it only retired a short distance, alighting on a prostrate old log- close 

 l)y, remaining- perfectly silent. About five minutes after I left, it returned and 

 settled again on the eggs while I was still in plain view. I flushed her again 

 shortly afterwards, and she repeated the same performance; but the third time 

 she uttered a low, purring noise as she flew, probably a note of protest. I was 

 in hopes that she might try to remove her eggs and I would have a chance to 

 observe how this was done, but she failed to gratify my wishes. The male did 

 not put in an appearance during the two hours spent in watching the nest. As 

 nearly as I can ascertain, incnliation lasts about sixteen da3"s, and both sexes 

 assist in this duty. The young are fairly well covered with gray down when 

 first hatched; they grow rapidly, and while small one of the parents is always 

 close by. 



