136 



I in: WILSON BULLETIN No. Gl. 



One evening, just as the dusk was darkening into night, a Wliip- 

 poor-will was heard near the camp. We stole out, and the hird \\.-is 

 located in a large bare walnut tree in the open bush where, looking 

 up against the still faintly illuminated sky, it could be plainly made 

 out, sitting lengthwise, as is their fashion, on a rather large and al- 

 most horizontal branch. It remained perfectly motionless except for 

 an occasional jerk of its white blotched tail, when it gave vent in- 

 termittently to a guttural "gluck." These notes were repeated at ir- 

 regular intervals of perhaps half a minute, several times and then, 

 without start or warning, it launched away into the air, starting off 

 immediately at full speed, with a drop that carried it in a large, 

 even circle half way to the ground, and then up on the same curve, 

 to vanish in the gloom of the trees. Then it appeared on the other 

 side, swinging down on fixed wings in great elliptical curves as 

 though whirled from the end of a cord, perfectly silent in flight and 

 threading the dusky mazes of the tree tops with the utmost confi- 

 dence and precision. Here and there it rapidly wheeled, without an 

 apparent stroke of the wing, now coming into view in the lower arc 

 of its great circling, and then vanishing silently again on the up- 

 ward sweep on the other side. As suddenly as it started, it ceased in 

 the middle of a swing and, while the eyes vainly searched for the 

 dark object along the continuation of its course, it was seated again 

 on the branch from which it first sprang, silent and still. This was 

 repeated several times, and then it was joined by another, and the 

 two circled about like great soft, gliding bats until the sky above 

 grew so dark that their movements could no longer be watched. 



The latest date we have for the species is October 14, 1906, when 

 one was seen*. During the August- September trip of 1907 but one 

 bird w r as noted, straggling along after a bunch of Nighthawks that 

 were making their way out the Point on their southern migration. 



95. *Chordciles virgmianus. Nighthawk. 



Common on all spring visits, but in the fall it is only the strag- 

 glers that are seen after September 1. In 1905 we saw one solitary 

 bird, September 8, and another the 12th. In 1906 a few were seen 

 September 1-3, and another single the 18th. All the early fall mi- 

 grants of 1907 were a little late, and this species was observed com- 

 monly passing southward every day until August 27, when they grad- 

 ually thinned out and the last was noted the 6th of September. Very 

 few seem to do much feeding when passing along the Point on their 

 southward migration ; all then seen are steadily winging their way 

 straight south and but occasionally making the briefest side excur- 

 sion for passing insects. 



96. Chcctura pelagica. Chimney Swift. 



Common on all trips except those of October and March. Septeni- 



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