NIGI1THAWKS, WHIP-POOR-WILLS, ETC. 237 



tied with black, ochraceous, and cream-buff; an imperfect whitish band 

 across the upper breast ; base of the bill beset with long, stiffened bristles, 

 the basal half of these bristles grown with hairlike branches. Ad. ? . Similar, 

 but with no white patches in the tail, the upper breast with an ochraceous- 

 buff instead of white band. L., 12-00 : W., 8-50 ; T., 6-00 ; B., -40. 



Range. Eastern United States; breeds from North Carolina and Illinois 

 southward ; winters from our southern borders southward ; accidental in 

 Massachusetts. 



Cambridge, A. V., one record, Dec. 



Eggs, two, laid on the ground or leaves, in woods or thickets, dull white, 

 with delicate, obscure pale lilac markings, and a few distinct brownish-gray 

 spots, 1-40 x -98. 



Generally speaking, this species resembles the Whip-poor-will in 

 habits. Its notes are quite similar to those of that species, but are 

 louder, less rapidly uttered, and each call has an additional syllable. 

 Its gape is enormous, the wide-open mouth of an adult measuring 

 about two inches from corner to corner. For this reason it can swal- 

 low large objects with ease, and both Hummingbirds and Sparrows 

 have been found in Chuck-wiU's-widow's stomach. Perhaps they were 

 mistaken for large moths. 



417. Antrostomus vociferus ( Wils.}. WHIP-POOR-WILL. Ad. $. 

 Upper parts streaked with black, the head finely mottled with black and 

 white, the back mottled with ochraceous-buff and black ; primaries black, 

 with broken rufous bars ; tail irregularly barred with black and mottled with 

 whitish or cream-buff; end half of three outer feathers white ; black on the 

 outer vane of the outer feather extending farther down than on the others ; 

 throat and breast blackish, finely mottled with cream-buff or ochraceous-buff; 

 a narrow white band across the upper breast; belly cream-buff, irregularly 

 barred with blackish; base of the bill beset with long, stiffened bristles, 

 which are without hairlike branches. Ad. 9 . Similar, but three outer tail- 

 feathers narrowly tipped with ochraceous-buff; band on the throat cream- 

 buff instead of white. L., 9-75 ; W., 6-08 ; T., 4 65 ; B., -37. 



Range. Eastern North America, north to New Brunswick and Manitoba ; 

 winters from Florida southward. 



Washington, common S. E., Apl. 15 to Oct. Sing Sing, common S. K., 

 Apl. 19 to Oct. 17. Cambridge, common S. K., Apl. 28 to Sept. 20. 



Eggs, two, laid on the ground or leaves, in woods or thickets ; dull white, 

 with delicate, obscure lilac markings and a few distinct brownish gray spots, 

 1-18 x -84. 



In walking through rather densely grown woods I have sometimes 

 been surprised by having a Whip-poor-will fly up from beneath my 

 feet and disappear in the surrounding growth. I say surprised, be- 

 cause the bird's flight is as noiseless as a moth's, and this unusual, 

 ghostly silence is almost as startling as the whir of a Grouse. 



The Whip-poor-will's day begins when the sun goes down. Then 



