742 



Creatfttrp nf Natural ^ 



they seem then to want that vivacity for 

 which they are distinguished in the morning 

 and evening twilight. They are rarely shot 

 at or molested ; and from being thus tran- 

 siently seen in the obscurity of dusk, or in 

 the deep umbrage of the woods, no wonder 

 their particular markings of plumage should 

 be so little known, or that they should be 

 confounded with the night hawk, whom in 

 general appearance they so much resemble. 

 The female begins to lay about the second 

 week in May, selecting for this purpose the 

 most unfrequented part of the wood, often 

 where some brush, old logs, heaps of leaves, 

 &c. had been lying, and always on a dry 

 situation. The eggs are deposited on the 

 ground, or on the leaves, not the slightest 

 appearance of a nest being visible. These 

 are usually two in number, in shape much 

 resembling those of the night hawk, but 

 having the ground colour much darker, and 

 more thickly marbled with dark olive. 



" Early in June, as soon as the young ap- 

 pear, the notes of the male usually cease, or 

 are heard but rarely. Towards the latter part 

 of summer, a short time before these birds 

 leave us, they are again occasionally heard ; 

 but their call is then not so loud, much less 

 emphatical, and more interrupted than in 

 spring. Early in September they move off 

 towards the south. 



" The Whip-poor-will is nine inches and 

 a half long, and nineteen inches in extent ; 

 the bill is blackish, a full quarter of an inch 

 long, much stronger than that of the night 

 hawk, and bent a little at the point, the 

 under mandible arched a little upwards, fol- 

 lowing the curvature of the upper ; the 

 nostrils are prominent and tubular, their 

 openings directed forward ; the mouth is 

 extravagantly large, of a pale flesh-colour 

 within, and beset along the sides with a 

 number of long, thick, elastic bristles, the 

 longest of which extends more than half an 

 inch beyond the point of the bill, end in fine 

 hair, and curve inwards ; these seem to serve 

 as feelers, and prevent the escape of winged 

 insects : the eyes are very large, full, and 

 bluish black ; the plumage above is so varie- 

 gated with black, pale cream, brown, and 

 rust-colour, sprinkled and powdered in such 

 minute streaks and spots, as to defy descrip- 

 tion." 



WHITE ADMIRAL, [BUTTERFLY]. 

 A name given by collectors to Butterflies oi 

 the genus Limenitia. 



WHITE ANT. [See TEEMBS.] 



WHITEBAIT. (Clupeaalba.-) This small 

 fish, which of late years has gained a sort ol 

 tavern celebrity as a dish suited to the epi- 

 curism of certain " diners-out," appears in 

 the Thames about the beginning of April 

 and becomes abundant during the summer 

 mouths till September. It grows to the 

 length of six inches, and its sides are uni- 

 formly of a white colour, whence its name. 

 For a long time it was denied to be a distinct 

 species, and supposed to be the fry of other 

 members of the Herring tribe, and there are 

 legislative enactments (now rarely if ever en- 

 forced) against Whitebait fishing, on accouu' 



of the necessity of using nets with small 

 neshes. It is now, however, a well-esta- 

 blished fact, that no fry of valuable fishes 

 swim along with them ; and those who are 

 :>rone to indulge in the luxury of a White- 

 )ait dinner on the banks of Father Thames 

 need be under no apprehension of having 

 gratified an epicurean taste at the expense 

 of piscatorial impropriety. 



WHITE BORDER [BUTTERFLY]. A 

 name given by collectors to a species of But- 

 terfly, Vanessa Antiopa. 



WHITE [BUTTERFLIES]. A name 

 applied by collectors to species of Butterflies, 

 of the genera Pieris, Pontia, and Leucopfiasia. 



WHITE SHARK. [See SHARK.] 



WHITING. (Merlanffits vulgaris.) A 

 ell-known fish belonging to the Gadidce or 

 cod tribe, and valuable on account of its 

 delicacy and lightness as an article of food. 

 It does not usually exceed a pound and a 

 half in weight ; abounds on all the British 



WHITINft. (MERI.ANQD8 VULQARIS.) 



coasts, and comes in large shoals towards 

 the shore in the months of January and 

 February, for the purpose of depositing its 

 spawn. It is easily distinguished from the 

 haddock by the absence of the barbule on the 

 chin ; and from the pollack and coal-fish by 

 having the under jaw shorter than the upper, 

 and the tail even at the end. 



WIDGE9N. (Anas [iforeca] Penelope.) A 

 species of migratorybirds,bred in the morasses 

 of the north, wliich they quit on the approach 

 of winter, and as they advance towards the 

 end of their southern journey, they spread 

 themselves along the shores, and over the 

 marshes and lakes in various parts of the 

 Continent, as well as those of the British 

 Isles. Here they remain during the winter, 

 at the end of which the old birds pair ; and 

 the whole tribe, in full plumage, take their 

 departure northward about the end of March. 

 They commonly fly, in small flocks, during 

 the night, and may be known from their 

 congeners by their whistling note while they 

 are on the wing. They axe easily domes- 

 ticated in places where there is plenty of 

 water, and are much admired for their beauty 

 and sprightliness. The bill is an inch and 

 a half long, narrow, and serrated on the 

 inner edges, the upper mandible being of a 

 dark lead colour, tipped with black. The 

 crown of the head, which is very high and 

 narrow, is of a cream colour, with a small 

 spot of the same under each eye : the rest of 

 the head, the neck, and the breast, are bright 

 rufous chestnut, obscurely freckled on the 

 head with black spots, and darkest on the 

 chin and throat, which are tiuged with a 



