WHIP-POOR-WILL. 451 



It being then clear moonlight. These repeated their notes three 

 or four times, and were heard no more. It is highly probable 

 that they migrate during the evening and night. 



The Whip-poor-will is nine inches and a half long, and nine- 

 teen 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 up- 

 wards, following 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 bris- 

 tles, 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 in- 

 sects: the eyes are very large, full, and bluish black; the plu- 

 mage above is so variegated with black, pale cream, brown, and 

 rust colour, sprinkled and powdered in such minute streaks 

 and spots, as to defy description; the upper part of the head is 

 of a light brownish gray, marked with a longitudinal streak of 

 black, with others radiating from it; the back is darker, finely 

 streaked with a less deep black; the scapulars are very light 

 whitish ochre, beautifully variegated with two or three oblique 

 streaks of very deep black; the tail is rounded, consisting often 

 feathers, the exterior one an inch and a quarter shorter than the 

 middle ones, the three outer feathers on each side are blackish 

 brown for half their length, thence pure white to the tips, the 

 exterior one is edged with deep brown nearly to the tip; the 

 deep brown of these feathers is regularly studded with light 

 brown spots; the four middle ones are without the white at the 

 ends, but beautifully marked with herring-bone figures of black 

 and light ochre finely powdered; cheeks and sides of the head 

 of a brown orange or burnt colour; the wings, when shut, reach 

 scarcely to the middle of the tail, and are elegantly spotted 

 with very light and dark brown, but are entirely without the 

 large spot of white which distinguishes those of the Night-hawk; 

 chin black, streaked with brown; a narrow semicircle of white 



