The Bird that Whips Poor SVill 

 I 



overlooked or managing to dart out of danger. 

 Nature has therefore done the best she could 

 for these weaklings by making them incon- 

 spicuous. 



Our whip-poor-will, indeed, is an excellent 

 example of the adaptation of animal colors to 

 customary surroundings. Its plumage presents 

 to the eye at a little distance a brownish neutral 

 tint blended of ochres, grays, browns and blacks, 

 apportioned in an exquisite pattern to each silky 

 feather; the only break is made by a rather 

 obscure crescent of white upon the breast, which, 

 through the overlapping of feathers and dim 

 reflections from the ground, quite disappears 

 when the bird is sitting in its usual squatting 

 fashion. In fact, when the whip-poor-will is 

 at rest in the flickering gray-green light of the 

 woods, the whole of it practically disappears, 

 becomes as unnoticeable as any fallen leaf or 

 chip, and the bird understands very well how 

 to avail itself of such protection, by crouching 

 low and keeping utterly still. Species that live 

 on open plains are gifted with almost supernat- 

 ural abilities in this direction. 



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