92 



TWENTIETH CENTTTKY CLASSICS 



.'r5x.50; pure white; not highly polished; in form, 

 rather elliptical ovate, 



XXV.— ITIGHT-HAWK. 



CJiordeiles virginianus (Gmel.). 



•Summer resident; common in the eastern to the middle 

 portion of the State ; rare in the western. Arrive the first 

 of May ; begin laying the last of May ; return in Septem- 

 ber; a few occasionally remain into October. 



Habitat. Eastern I^orth America ; north to Hudson's 

 Bay; west to edge of Great Plains; (to Pacific coast 

 along the northern border of the United States;) south 

 in winter to Bahamas^ Cuba, Jamaica, (breeds?) middle 

 America, and portions of eastern South America. 

 (Ridgway.) 



Iris, bill and claws blackish ; legs and feet dark gray- 

 ish bro^vn. 



This is one of our most common birds of the open lands 

 and prairies. Strictly speaking, it is a diurnal bird, but 

 more or less crepuscular in habits, retiring to rest regularly 

 at the close of twilight. In flight they are graceful and 

 pleasing, gliding with ease through their various evolu- 

 tions and- quick turns, skimming with spread tail in a 

 buoyant, effortless manner near the ground or high in air, 

 rising and dropping suddenly, and at times v\dth a quick 

 upward turn that causes a hollow, whirring sound, pro- 

 duced, I think, by the quick vibrations of the wings upon 

 the air. Their voice is an occasional squeak or a " Pe-up " 

 note, and, when wounded or in the protection of their 

 young or eggs, often startle the intruder by quickly rais- 

 ing their feathers and emitting through their widely- 



