The Burgess Bird Book for Children 



him in a tree I may as well tell you that he doesn't 

 sit as most birds do. He sits lengthwise of a 

 branch. He never sits across it as the rest of us 

 do." 



"How funny!" exclaimed Peter. "I suppose 

 that is Boomer making that queer noise we hear." 



"Yes," replied Jenny. "He certainly does like 

 to use his voice. They tell me that some folks call 

 him Bullbat, though why they should call him either 

 Bat or Hawk is beyond me. I suppose you know 

 his cousin, Whip-poor-will." 



"I should say I do," replied Peter. "He's 

 enough to drive one crazy when he begins to 

 shout ' Whip poor Will ' close at hand. That voice 

 of his goes through me so that I want to stop both 

 ears. There isn't a person of my acquaintance 

 who can say a thing over and over, over and over, 

 so many times without stopping for breath. Do 

 I understand that he is cousin to Boomer?" 



"He is a sort of second cousin, the same as Sooty 

 the Chimney Swift," explained Jenny Wren. 

 "They look enough alike to be own cousins. 

 Whip-poor-will has just the same kind of a big 

 mouth and he is dressed very much like Boomer, 

 save that there are no white patches on his wings." 



"I've noticed that," said Peter. "That is one 

 way I can tell them apart." 



"So you noticed that much, did you?" cried 

 [172] 



