THE FLORIDA XICmTHAWK. 171 



of black, giving the bird ;iu appearance above not unlike the young of ^l^f/ia- 

 litis tvilsonia, save that the down is hmger.'" 



Mr. Frank M. Chapman, in his "List of lairds Observed at Gainesville, 

 Florida," speaking of this subspecies, states: "Ikill-bat or (as it is more com- 

 monly termed) 'Bat' shooting is here a popular pastime, great numbers being- 

 killed for food, and in August, when the birds have gathered in Hocks, favorite 

 fields may be occupied at nightfiill by as many as a dozen gunners." - 



Dr. William L. Ralph has taken several nests and eggs, with the parents, in 

 Putnam County, Florida, which are now in the United States National Museum 

 collection. Here, during the lireeding season at least, tlie Florida Nighthawk 

 frequents mainly low, flat pine woods, especially such as have recently been 

 bin-nt over, the eggs generally lying on the bare ground. Sandy soil seems to 

 be preferred for nesting places. One set of eggs was found by him under a 

 small orange tree in an orange grove on the side of a sandy hill; three others 

 were taken in Hat pine woods, and in one instance the eggs laid on a few frag- 

 ments of charcoal left where a fallen tree had been partly bm-nt, between the 

 remaining part of the tree and the stump, about 3 feet from each. Nidification 

 api)ears to )>e at its height in Putnam County, Florida, during May, and prob- 

 ably two broods are raised in a season. 



The eggs of the Florida Nighthawk resemble those of the two preceding 

 species closely, both in shape and in their ground color; but the markings, as a 

 rule, are much darker and bolder, and the eggs are also somewhat smaller. Tlie 

 difference between them and those of their near relative, Chonhi/cs virg'miaims 

 minor, is still greater, the latter being on the whole much lighter colored than 

 those of the Western Nighthawk, resembling the eggs of Chordeilcs texensis for 

 more in this respect. 



The average measurement of fifteen specimens in the United States National 

 Museiun collection, all from Florida, is 29.03 by 20.89 millimetres, or about 1.14 

 by 0.82 inches. The largest egg measures 30.94 by 20.57 millimetres, or 1.22 

 by 0.81 inches; the smallest, 27.43 by 20.32 millimetres, or 1.08 by 0.80 inches. 



Of the type specimens, both from the Ralph collection. No. 24!)()9 (PI. 3, 

 Fig. 5), from a set of two eggs taken near San Mateo, Florida, on May 9, 1885, 

 represents one of the finer-marked examples, while No. 25823 (PI. 3, Fig. G), 

 also from a set of two taken near Tomoka, Florida, on May 8, 1892, shows one 

 of the darker-colored patterns. • 



' The Auk, Vol. V, 1888, p. 180.* - IbUl, i>. 272. 



