354 IM LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



The night is peopled by busy little folk as 

 intently carrying on their loves and labors as are 

 those of the day. In February or March the 

 chuck- will's- widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) 

 appears, at first sparingly, but later abundantly. 

 From early twilight until sunrise, rarely after, 

 the males pour out their discordant song. I know 

 no bird so earnest about securing a mate; hence 

 their terrible clatter. They are like those who use 

 many repetitions in their prayers that they may 

 be heard for much speaking. One of these birds 

 will repeat his "chuck- will's- widow" at a mod- 

 erate rate for a long time and end by calling it as 

 rapidly as possible, then for a little while he must 

 cease from sheer exhaustion. One would think 

 the female would capitulate rather than listen to 

 such singing. 



This bird almost entirely replaces here the much 

 pleasanter voiced whippoorwill of the north. 

 Those who have lived here a long time and watched 

 the birds closely tell me they have never heard the 

 whippoorwill, but it does in fact inhabit our part 

 of the country. Once or twice a season I catch its 

 lonely, plaintive call. The night hawk (Chor- 

 deiles virginianus) is not at all rare. When wan- 



