556 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA — THOMPSON, 



The Night-liawk subsists chiefly ou insects, which it devours ou the wing: but 

 Wilson examined some whose gizzards were full of crickets, a prey that must have 

 been taken from the ground. On several occasions I have found the stomach full of 

 grasshoppers, and in one 1 found a number of pebbles. As soon as the young are 

 strong on the wing the sjiecies is seen in Hocks and begins to depart, for it is one of 

 the earliest to move of the fall migrants. These flocks are very long and straggling, 

 though few in numbers; the largest I ever noted contained forty-oue of the birds. 

 (Carberry.) 



The eggs of the Night-hawk {Chordeiles virr/inianus) were several times found on the 

 bare ground amoug the sand hills [on the north side of the Souris, near Plum Creek], 

 with no approach to a nest for the helpless young. The parent birds endeavored to 

 draw us away fi-oni their eggs, flattered as if wounded a short distance from them, 

 and uttering cries of distress. (Hind, July 1, 18.'38.) 



Among the trees on the sand hills and in the bluffs the Night-hawk (Chordeiles 

 popetue) is abundant and makes itself very conspicuous towards evening by its loud 

 scream, by booming, and by displaying during flight the unmistakable wliite patch on 

 each wing. Not uii frequently it may be seen on the wing at midday ; and it always 

 makes an appearance long before sunset, sailing about at a great height and scream- 

 ing frequently. After flying a while over the head of any intruder it suddenly 

 spreads its wings, and, giving a wide swoop downwards, emits a loud booming 

 noise, which has gained for it in some parts of America the name of "Bull Bat." 

 That this noise is made over one's head in order to threaten or intimidate seems to 

 me pretty certain ; but I have also, I believe, heard it emitted at a distance, without 

 any such object. 



The number of old birds began to get very much less by the end of August, but a few 

 were nevertheless seen until well ou into September — one as late as the llth. After the 

 migration commenced they were not unCrequently seen in the evenings flying over in 

 large straggling i)arties, circling about as they proceeded. These parties usually 

 traveled southwest, I believe, though this is not the direction usually chosen by the 

 other birds of the district when moving south. (Christy.) 



Early in June, 1832, I witnessed the courtship of a pair of these birds. It was a 

 very pretty sight. The spot selected for their meeting was a small bare patch of 

 ground in the edge of the scrub, evidently where an old camp fire had been made. 

 About this the male strutted, posturing most gracefully before his mistress, remind- 

 ing one somewhat of the antics of a male tame pigeon when similarly engaged. 

 (Nash, iuMSS.) 



144. Chcetiira pelagica. Chimney Swift. 



Tolerably common summer resident. Common ;it Pembina, and 

 thence westward to Mouse River (Coues). Pembina (Lay). Winni- 

 peg: Summer resident; abundant (Hine). Portage la Prairie: Com- 

 mon summer resident; arrives about May 16, departs early in Sep- 

 tember; in 1884 first seen, May 17 (Nash). A few observed at Swan 

 Lake House, July 8, 1881 (Macouu). Carberry : Rare and not breeding 

 (Thompson). Brandon: April 21, 1887 (Wood). 



A nesfc examined by me at Winnipeg, July 15, 1H83, contained four eggs. The 

 young were hatched a few days after. From that tinu", tiie young remained in and 

 around their nest until September 4, wiien they flew for the first time, and at once 

 disappeared. After the young grew too large for the nest they arranged themselves 

 in a row, touchingone anotlier, but slightly below each other, and clung to the w.all. 

 In that position they remaiued until they took their final departure. (Nash, in MSS.) 



