THE NIGHT HA WK. 383 



ern limits. It is also rare on the Pacific Coast. Though 

 said to winter in Florida, it goes even to Buenos Ayres in its 

 migrations, and has accidentally strayed to Europe. 



Both our Cuckoos are somewhat nocturnal in their habits. 

 I have heard the loud notes of the Black-bill in the orchard, 

 a few rods from my study window, at a very late hour of 

 the night. The American Cuckoo is not usually parasitic, 

 after the manner of its European congener. 



The Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus semiculus), found in 

 Florida and the West Indies, is a little smaller than the 

 above species, and similar in its marking and coloration 

 to the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, except that its lower mandible 

 is pale orange-brown, and its outer tail feathers are not 

 tipped with white. 



THE NIGHT HAWK. 



As I emerge from the thicket into the open pasture, a so- 

 called Night Hawk (Chordeiles virginianus) flies up, almost 

 from under my feet, and moving in an irregular, zigzag 

 manner, alights lengthwise on the fence. In this near prox- 

 imity, both in flight and in repose, he is a weird looking 

 object. His odd way of perching lengthwise is supposed 

 to be an accommodation to his feet and legs, which would 

 seem too small and weak to support him crosswise. As 

 he starts from the ground and darts this way and that, as if 

 somewhat confused, the large, clear white markings of his 

 wings and tail are very conspicuous, and sharply defined 

 by the dark mottling of his general color. By no means 

 abundant in this locality, the Night Hawk may be found 

 from early in May till early in autumn, about the low 

 grounds north of the Ridge. In Northern New England 

 and in the British Provinces it is very abundant, and be- 

 comes a most conspicuous object in the summer landscape. 

 Mr. Samuels reports it so numerous at a place in Maine, 



