144 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [16:4— April, 1920 



the mountains I found that the birds did not fly over the tops of the 

 main ridges, but were simply passing through the low gaps in the 

 range. In other words they avoided climbing over the mountains 

 where it was possible to cross them at levels several hundred feet 

 lower. 



In my study of the topography thereafter, I found the flight of 

 the robins in that region decidedly helpful in locating gaps in the 

 main ridge, when from my position on the ground, and in heavy 

 forests it was impossible to see the gaps at any considerable distance. 



The mountain range through that particular region has a north- 

 east-southwest course, and this bearing explains why some of the 

 robins flew toward the northeast: they were near a gap in that 

 direction. When the nearest gap was to the southwest, the robins 

 flew south westward ; and once in the passes they followed the 

 bottoms of the wind-gaps like living streams. 



A Whippoorwill of New England 



Mary A. Quick 



Ithaca, N.Y. 



I strolled in the warm summer twilight along the rocky hillroad 

 watching the sunset glow fade in west over the jutting mountain 

 peaks in the distance. Even the sibilant whirr of the locusts' 

 wings and the subdued chirring of the crickets were hushed for, out 

 of the depths of the woods, came the loud wild call whip-poor-will, 

 whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will! I paused and again the song was 

 rapidly reiterated and it drifted nearer and nearer until it was so 

 close that I could hear a low chuck, chuck which preceded its wild 

 song and I thought as Wordsworth did of the Cuckoo ; *' Oh Spirit, 

 can I call thee bird or but a wandering voice." It continued sing- 

 ing until I wondered where it found breath for such a rapid and 

 long continued effort. Silence again intervened and then away 

 toward the gloomy forest which loomed up darker than ever, I 

 heard the song repeated wildly sweet, but farther and farther away 

 it floated and dropped into silence. Again to my ears came the 

 chirring of crickets and the whirring of locusts' wings and as if from 

 a dream T awoke to the scene around me and continued my way to 

 the cottage where a light in the window was burning and sought 

 my cot, hoping again to hear that voice which had so strangely 

 stirred me. 



