Newjerfey, Raccoon* 153 



times in a night, and fettles clofe to the 

 houfes ; I have feen it coming late in the 

 evening, and fettling on the fleps of the 

 houfe, in order to fmg its fong ; it is very 

 fhy, and when a perfon flood ftill, it 

 would fettle clofe by him, and begin to 

 call. It came to the houfes in order to 

 get its food, which confifts of infedts $ 

 and thofe always abound near the houfes 

 at night ; when it fat and called its whip- 

 periwbip, and faw an infect pafiing, it 

 flew up and caught it, and fettled again. 

 Sometimes you hear four or five, or more, 

 near each other, calling as it were for a 

 wager, and railing a great noife in the 

 woods. They were feldom heard in towns, 

 being either extirpated there, or frightened 

 away, by frequent {hooting. They do not 

 like to fit on trees, but are commonly 

 on the ground, or very low in bufhes, or 

 on the lower poles of the enclofures. They 

 always fly near the ground : they continue 

 their calling at night till it grows quite 

 dark ; they are filent till the dawn of day 

 comes on, and then they call till the fun 

 rifes. The fun feems to flop their mouths, 

 pr dazzle their eyes, fo as to make them 

 fit ftill. I have never heard them call in 

 the midfl of night, though I hearkened 

 very attentively, on purpofe to hear it$ 



and 



