154 BoLLES, Notes on Whip-poor-wills and Owls. [April 



the while keeping his head moving now to right, now to left. Then 

 he was silent. While he whipped his mouth seemed to open and 

 shut with each whip. It was light enough for me to feel quite 

 sure of this at first. His silence was broken by a sound which I 

 thought was not connected with him. It was a sort of low snoring 

 reminding me slightly of the dry sound produced by rubbing one's 

 thumb over a smooth piece of wood, or the inside of the closed 

 forefinger. He made this sound three times, and a second 

 later said "whip" sharply once. He was answered by a similar 

 single note from the fence or wall a few paces away, and with a 

 flash of his white spots he was gone. He said "whip" once or 

 twice on or near the fence, and then went further. From the 

 fence I was much more likely to be seen than from any other 

 quarter, and I think his mate refused to join him on the rock 

 owing to my dark presence. I was near enough to him while he 

 was whipping to have reached out my hand and touched the spot 

 on which he stood. 



As the bird sits flat on the rock its wings show their tips clearly 

 over the tail. 



Once later before I s'tirred, he came into the dooryard and sang 

 cheerfully from the woodpile or the kitchen steps — an unusual 

 proceeding. 



Aug. 9. Every night thus far the whips, have sung, and I heard 

 them this a. m. at 4 o'c. For a month my whip, has not been on 

 his rock to sing. Once about July 30 I heard him purring there at 

 8.30 p. m. Last night while I was eating a late sup. after being 

 at Heron Pond till 7.30 I heard one say "whip" either on or just 

 beyond the back piazza. Six were audible at Heron Pond about 

 7 p. m., one on the shore. As a rule, but with marked exceptions, 

 they say whip-poor-will on three or four times running instead of 

 60-100 or 150 as a month ago. Full moon makes no apparent 

 difference. 



Aug. 29. Have heard no whips, since Aug. 21, a. m. Aug. 29, 

 heard them this evening. 



Sept. 4. Whips, going a while each evening. 



Sept. 11, 12, 13. Whips, going on the stone. Several times 3 

 nights running. 



Sept. 21, 22. Whip, around barn, on bracket on roof, clucks 



