THE WHIP-POOR-WILL 99 



fledged, and they scampered away a few yards 

 and suddenly squatted upon the ground, where 

 their assimilative coloring rendered them almost 

 invisible. Then the anxious parent put forth all 

 her arts to absorb our attention and lure us away 

 from her offspring. She flitted before us from 

 side to side, with spread wings and tail, now fall- 

 ing upon the ground, where she would remain a 

 moment as if quite disabled, then perching upon 

 an old stump or low branch with drooping, quiv- 

 ering wings, and imploring us by every gesture 

 to take her and spare her young. My companion 

 had his camera with him, but the bird would not 

 remain long enough in one position for him to 

 get her picture. 



