WHIP-POOR-WILL. 455 



puted point, the particulars of which he now submits to those 

 interested in the question. 



" Thirteen of those birds usually called Night-hawks, which 

 dart about in the air like Swallows, and sometimes descend 

 with rapidity from a great height, making a hollow sounding 

 noise like that produced by blowing into the bung-hole of an 

 empty hogshead, were shot at different times, and in different 

 places, and accurately examined both outwardly and by dissec- 

 tion. Nine of these were found to be males, and four females. 

 The former all corresponded in the markings and tints of their 

 plumage; the latter also agreed in their marks, differing slightly 

 from the males, though evidently of the same species. Two 

 others were shot as they rose from the nests, or rather from 

 the eggs, which in both cases were two in number, lying on 

 the open ground. These also agreed in the markings of their 

 plumage with the four preceding; and on dissection were found 

 to be females. The eggs were also secured. A Whip-poor-will 

 was shot in the evening, while in the act of repeating his usual 

 and well known notes. This bird was found to be a male, differ- 

 ing in many remarkable particulars from all the former. Three 

 others were shot at different times during the day, in solitary 

 and dark shaded parts of the woods. Two of these were found 

 to be females, one of which had been sitting on two eggs. The 

 two females resembled each other almost exactly; the male al- 

 so corresponded in its markings with the one first found; and all 

 four were evidently of one species. The eggs differed from the 

 former both in colour and markings. 



" The differences between these two birds were as follow: 

 the sides of the mouth in both sexes of the Whip-poor-will 

 were beset with ranges of long and very strong bristles, extend- 

 ing more than half an inch beyond the point of the bill; both 

 sexes of the Night-hawk were entirely destitute of bristles. The 

 bill of the Whip-poor-will was also more than twice the length 

 of that of the Night-hawk. The long wing quills, of both sexes 

 of the Night-hawk, were of a deep brownish black, with a large 

 spot of white nearly in their middle; and when shut the tips of 





