346 HISTORY OF THE 



a bewildered manner, fly but a short distance and drop back 

 suddenly to the ground. 



Their food consists of moths, beetles, and the various noctur- 

 nal insects caught upon the wing. I once saw, at eve, in Col- 

 orado, one of the birds repeatedly spring from the ground and 

 catch passing moths. The birds, when mated, seem to be strongly 

 attached to each other, the males sharing in the duties of hatch- 

 ing and rearing the young. The eggs, two in number, are laid 

 upon the bare ground, usually at the roots of a bunch of grass, 

 weeds or low bushes upon the prairies. A set collected by 

 Prof. D. E. Lantz, on the high prairie near Manhattan, Kansas, 

 May 25th, 1886, were sheltered by a tuft of grass; no material 

 or lining of any kind for a nest. Eggs, l.OOx.75, 1.12x.78; 

 pure white; in form, oval to rounded elliptical. 



Phalsenoptilus nuttalli nitidus BKEWST. 



FROSTED POOR- WILL. 

 PLATE XXIII. 



This bleached race, lately added to our list of North Ameri- 

 can Birds, has been taken in the State at Neosho Falls and 

 Manhattan, and when better known, will, without doubt, prove 

 to be a common summer resident. 



B. . K. . C. . G. , . IT. 418a. 



HABITAT. As far as known the same as that of the Poor-will. 

 Taken in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and Texas. 



Sp. CHAR. ' Similar to true P. nuttalli, but with the dark markings of the 

 crown, back, etc., fewer and more sharply defined, on a much lighter ground, the 

 transverse bars beneath finer, paler, and less conspicuous. This bird seems to 

 be another example of a bleached desert race. It is very much paler than true 

 nuttalli, with fewer fine dark markings, which, however, are more conspicuous 

 than in nuttalli, owing to the generally lighter ground color. This on the fore- 

 head, sides of crown, rump, upper tail coverts and scapulars is pearly or ashy 

 white, giving the parts a delicate, frosted appearance. The chin, sides of head, 

 and a broad band around the nape are light faded brown, whereas in nuttalli 

 they are many shades darker and (the chin and cheeks at least) often strongly 

 blackish. (Brewster.) 



This bird does not appear to differ in habits, actions or size 

 from P. nuttalli, and I am impressed with the thought that it 

 may possibly prove to be a dichromatic phase-, like that of the 



