Chap. 3. 



BIRDS OF VERMONT. 



99 



THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. 



THE NIGHT HAWK. 



chimneys for that purpose, and for roost- 

 ing places. The nest is formed of slender 

 twigs, interlocked and cemented togeth- 

 er, and to the chimney or tree, by an ad- 

 hesive mucilage secreted by the stomach 

 of the architect. The eggs are white, and 

 usually 4. This Swallow is often called 

 the Chimney Swift. 



Genus Caprimulgus. — Linnmis. 

 Generic Characters. — Bill extremely 

 short, feeble and (.left beyniKl the eyes ; upper 

 mandible usually sutruunded with spreading bris- 

 lles,sometimes hooked at the tip,the margin turn- 

 ed outward ; nosirils basal, wide, parlly covered 

 by a feathered membrane ; tonguo small, acute 

 and eiKire; tarsus partly feathered ; aiUericir Ices 

 united by a membrane to the first joint ; hind toe 

 reversible, nails short; win^^s long ; tail of 10 

 feathers; the fcxvs distinguishable by iheir plu- 

 inaue ; the young similar to the adults. 



along the streams and low lands in vari- 

 ous "parts of the state, even up to the 

 northern boundary. For a nest this bird 

 makes a slight excavation upon the sur- 

 face of the dry ground, in the forest, usu- 

 ally by the si'de'^of a rock, a log, or a pik 

 of "bushes ; and, in this, about the 1st of 

 June, the female lays two eggs, which 

 are of a bluish white color, titickly blotch- 

 ed with dark olive. The young, like 

 chickens, are able to run about and hide 

 thetnselves as soon as they are hatched; 

 and being vvilhout a nest, and very Hour- 

 ly the color of the ground, they very 

 easily escape notice. 



THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. 



CV<y;r£HiM/^us?.-oc//cr!<s.— Wilson. 

 Description.— Variegated above with 

 black, brownish white and rust color, 

 with fine streaks and sprinkles; upper 

 part of the head brownish gray, marked 

 with a longitudinal stripe of black; tail 

 of 10 feathers rounded, the 3 outer feath- 

 ers while at their extremities ; the 4 mid- 

 dle ones without white at the ends, but 

 with herring-bone figures of black, and 

 pale ochre ; ''cheeks and sides of the head 

 brick color ; chin black with small brown 

 spots; a semi-circle of white across the 

 throat; breast and belly mottled and strc.ik- 

 ed with black and ochre ; bristles on the 

 cheeks much longer than the bill; mid- 

 dle claw pectinated; female less than the 

 male. Length 9.^, spread 10.— JV'««. 



History.- The Whip-poor-will arrives 

 in Vermont early in May, and his plain- 

 tive note is soon heard in the groves, 



THE NIGHT HAWK. 

 Caprimulgus virginianus. — Brissoi». 

 Description. — General color dark liv- 

 er brown, often with a greenish gloss; 

 the head, neck, back, scapulars and wing 

 coverts spotted with white, and yellow- 

 ish brown ; quills of the wings brownish 

 black, with a broad bar of white across 

 the middle, above and below ; a broad 

 sagittate spot of pure white on the throat, 

 and white across the tail in the male ; 

 under plumage and inner wing coverts 

 marked with alternate bars of dark liver 

 brown and yellowish white ; wings swal- 

 low-like, reaching a little beyond the tail; 

 1st quill longest, 2d nearly as long; bill 

 blackish without bristles ; legs short, pale 

 brown. Length 9.^ inches ; spread 23 in. 

 Female 9 indies long, and color o<-.hrey 

 about the head and throat. 



History.— The Night Hawk arrives in 

 Vermont in May, and is very comriion, 

 during the summer, in all parts of the 

 state. ° They rear their young in mead- 

 ows and old fields. The eggs, which are 

 only two, are laid upon a hare spot of 

 ground, without any manner of nest. 

 They are of a muddy wiiite color, thickly 

 freckled all over with reddish brown. 

 During the period of incubation the males 

 are often sporting upon the wing, and 

 emitting their sharp squeak, high in the 

 air, tow°ards the close of tiie day .occasion- 

 ally precipitating themselves towards the 

 earth, emitting at the same time their pe- 

 culiar luw-o-O, and then rising quickly to 

 their former height. This sport is usual- 



