BIEDS OP KANSAS 93 



opened mouth a sharp, hissing sound; and during love 

 making and caressing I have heard the males utter low, 

 cooing notes. 



Their food consists of small winged insects that abound 

 in the air, especially at morn, late in the afternoon and 

 at eve, which accounts for their activity at such times. 



Eggs two, 1.22x.82 ; grayish white, thickly mottled all 

 over with various tints of lilac purple and yellowish 

 brown ; they are laid upon the bare ground, in open and 

 exposed situations; in form, rounded elliptical. 



XXVI. WHIP-POOR-WILL. 



Antrostomus vociferus (WiLS.). 



Slimmer resident; rare; quite common during migra- 

 tion in the eastern portion of the State. Arrive the middle 

 of May ; begin laying the latter part of May ; return in 

 September. 



HABITAT. Eastern United States to the Plains; north 

 to Nova Scotia, Manitoba, etc. ; south in winter to Guate- 

 mala. 



Iris bluish black; bill and claws black; legs and feet 

 grayish brown. 



This bird of the night secretes itself, during the day, 

 in the deep, shady thickets, and were it not for its oft- 

 repeated and familiar voice, (heard during the mating 

 season, and occasionally late in autumn,) its presence, 

 even when quite common, would seldom be known, as it 

 does not leave its secluded retreats until the shades of 

 evening darken, and the silvery bugle notes of the Wood 

 Thrush one of the latest of the day songsters are 

 hushed. Wilson says: 



